About The Alliance
The Alliance is a non-profit association of professional women skateboarders and other action sports athletes who have united to develop and promote their sport by empowering and encouraging young women’s participation as well as increasing professional opportunities.
HISTORY
The Alliance was founded in 2005 by Cara-Beth Burnside, Mimi Knoop, and Drew Mearns in order to bring together and give voice to professional female skateboarders. The Alliance has acted as official sport organizer for all professional women’s skateboarding events at ESPN’s X Games since 2006, working in association with X Games’ international sponsors and production teams. In 2008, the Alliance played an instrumental role in securing prize purse equality for men and women at all X Games events (both Summer and Winter). The Alliance has worked with various contest organizers, industry leaders, and sponsors to cultivate more opportunities for female action sports athletes so that they can better participate, compete, and become more successful professional athletes.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
Cara-Beth Burnside
Drew Mearns
Mimi Knoop
ADVISORY BOARD
Our X Games selection committee(s) consist of the some of the most experienced women in action sports, and through them we strive to help maintain legitimacy and fairness at professional women’s skateboarding events worldwide. Our management and leaders provide consulting and marketing services to corporate sponsors and event organizers creating an authentic connection from female skateboarders to the board room.
Alex White
Alex White is a longtime skateboarder, videographer and friend of the lady’s skateboarding scene. She has roots in skating and was one of the top street skaters of her time in the early 00’s. She has a BA from Loyola Marymount University in Television Production, and has produced enough sizzle reels and show pilots to make Mark Burnett nauseous. She also has a tiny baby boy who keeps her up all night thanks to her husband and best friend of 10 years, Sam. Alex and Sam live in Monterrey, CA.
Amy Caron
Amy Caron is a pioneer in the women’s street skating movement. Her laid back street style makes her a favorite with her peers and at contests. She has multiple podium finishes at some of the biggest skate contests in the world, including X Games, Dew Tour, and Maloof Money Cup; and is recognized worldwide as a legend in her field. Amy recently graduated from Orange Coast College (May 2011) and now works at Huntington Beach Hospital as an X-Ray technician.
Ana Paula Negrao
Ana Paula is a freelance photographer and skateboarder from Brazil (who began doing both back in 1995). She has shot photographs for several magazines, skateboard companies, and fashion portfolios. AP has photographed many of the girls in the skateboarding scene over the past decade. She has also been instrumental in bringing new international talent to the US skate scene. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
Cara-Beth Burnside
Cara-Beth Burnside, nicknamed “CB”, is a pioneer of women’s professional skateboarding and snowboarding from Orange, California and ranks amongst the top female athletes in these sports in the world. CB was on the first Olympic snowboard team in 1998 and also is the only person besides Shawn White to hold gold medals in both summer and winter X Games. She also is the first woman to ever have a pro skate shoe.
Esther Godoy
Esther Godoy has been skateboarding and traveling the globe for over 17 years. Being the only female skateboarder to have any printed coverage in Australian Skateboarding magazines over the last 7 years, Esther became fed up with the lack of visibility and support for women in skateboarding. With an ingrained passion for empowering women to succeed, Esther started Girls Skate Australia, an organization that provides a platform from which to recognize and celebrate women in Skateboarding. GSA runs competitions, clinics and tours and have grown the female skateboarding community ten fold since their birth. Esther is also a professional web developer and karaoke enthusiast who travels between Australia and the USA often spreading the stoke!
Jenna Selby
Jenna is a skateboarder and freelance photographer based in London. She has since shot images for a variety of national and international publications, online magazines and companies. She helped create the annual event series, “Girl Skate Jam UK” which is now celebrating it’s 10 year. Jenna also created Rogue Skateboards, a skateboard company aimed to give female riders a platform on which to be recognized. After breaking her ankle in 2008 Jenna turned her attention to film making, creating the first European female skate film ‘As If, And What?’ She is now working on a world wide venture called ‘Scratch The Surface.’ The film will look to showcase girl skaters around the world, including Afghanistan, China and Russia.
Karen Jonz
Karen Jonz is one of the biggest names in the Brazilian women’s skate scene. She has been world champion in women’s vert twice, and is known for her progression and innovative style on the vert ramp. She was voted the skater of the year in 2006 and 2007, and won the young Brazilian award in 2008. Karen likes to compete against the men skating whenever she can, making her one of the only women to do so on an international stage. Karen owns the brand “Monstra Apple” and is a member of the band, Violet Ping Pong.
Lisa Whitaker
Lisa Whitaker has been the driving force in connecting the women’s skate scene with each other and with the world for many years. She is a talented skateboarder and former competitor that found her calling on the other side of the lens. Lisa launched thesideproject.com in 2003 to feature her all-female skate videos. Over the years it has evolved into the Girl’s Skate Network; a social network where girls from all over the world can share their pictures, footage and opinions. Lisa is a mentor and tour guide to all the girls that land in southern California.
Lyn-Z Pastrana
Lyn-Z is a seven time X Games medalist and she is also the first woman to land a 540 McTwist on a skateboard (in the fall of 2009). Lyn-Z has set the standard for women’s vert skating today and she is also the first woman to jump the infamous Mega Ramp (which she did when she was only 14). Lyn-z is also one of the few female skaters to have been featured in Tony Hawk’s video games. Lyn-z is currently one of the only women invited to tour with Travis Pastrana’s (her husband) Nitro Circus show in Australia.
