Holly Lyons has been boarding for many years now and her skateboarding has allowed her to travel the world. She use to organise comps in her local area to raise funds to provide a skatepark and has done a lot to promote women in sport. She has just been invited to her 5th X Games. She Rolls caught up with Holly, for a quick fire interview......
First of all how did you get into skateboarding? When I was a teenager, my friend was going out with a pro skater. We would watch them skate and I wanted to learn. The guys were really cool and set me up with a skateboard and some shirts.
Did you find it hard balancing your studies with skateboarding? Yeah, I wanted to skate and snowboard a lot. It was hard but if you want to achieve anything in life you have to work for it, so I just did it. I'm glad I have a college degree too.
You use to organise amateur skateboard contest's, you must have found this quite stressful, but with the money you raise you managed to build a skate park in your town - what advice would you gives to others wanting to do the same thing? Actually it wasn't stressful it was really fun! I looked at it like a school project and just did my best. It felt really good being a part of getting a skate park built in my town. If others want to do it, you just have to do it. Make mock fliers and send them to skate companies and call them. A lot of companies are willing to donate product for prizes and a raffle and the entrance fee is used to raise money. That won't be enough for a park but It's a way to been seen and a really good way to get big companies(Grocery stores, dept. stores, etc.) in your town to donate money, or help city council see the positive side of having a park and they will give you the money. City council gave us $150,000. So, money is available in each town, you just have to find it. Be creative!
You have skated in the X Games every year since 2004, in this time have you seen a drastic increase in the standard of the girl riders? Yeah, girls are getting better and better every year. It's really cool!
You have worked as a skateboard double on various TV shows and films, how did you get into that? It just came to me. I am little so I guess someone suggested me, and from there I got other work. TV work is so much fun!
Do you ever worry about taking a bad slam? I try not to think like that. Just do my best and that's all I can do.
You mainly skate vert but do you ever skate street contests? No
Who do you look up to, who is your favourite skater? Chris Miller and Rune Glifberg
You currently have a pro deck with Cool Girl skateboards, did you design the board? Yeah, I worked with the owner and we came up with a cool Louis Vuitton style board, I love it.
You do a lot of travelling and tours - have your ever skated in the UK? If so what did you think? I wish I have but no, I've never skated in the UK.
There is a lot of girl’s contests in America, this allows the girls to push each other and learn off others, in the UK we only have one girls-only event a year, what advice would you give us to promoting the sport over here in the UK? Just network and try to make more happen. I don't have any profound advice, but with anything in life, "If there is a will there is a way." From the one girls event you have, all the girls can work together to make more happen. There is power in numbers. Good luck!
Where is skateboarding taking you next? What plans do you have for the rest of the year? US Open of Surfing/Soul Bowl, X Games 13, Oregon Trifecta, Slam City Jam, Etnies Goofy vs. Regular, Tim Brauch Memorial contest, and Desert Dog
A big shout out to Holly for taking the time to answer our questions
The Let the good times roll tour has now come to an end - boohoo. This was the first ever all-girl skate tour in the UK!! Although I am sure more are to come. The riders included Becky Wood, Georgina Winters, Kerri Dennis, Laura Schwormstedt , Sadie Hollins, Jenna Selby and Sam Bruce, plus filmer Claire Wilson. Also Leric 3 rider Candie and friend Cat joined the tour for the boardroom ja
m and ghetto Burton skate. Loads of fun and mischief was had on the tour, with car racing ( and nearly dying in a mini), sausage partie's, afro wearing and cheese throwing with the odd skate trick thrown in. A full review and loads of pics will be up very soon.
