GRLSWIRL is Making Skateboarding More Inclusive for Women | NowThis

This woman leveraged her love for skateboarding to build a network of women skaters who empower others, give back to their community, and can cruise the streets of Venice Beach safely.

[NOTE: This video was originally published in June 2019.]

What started as a way to feel safe while skateboarding around Venice Beach blossomed into an inclusive, nearly 200+ community meet-up for women of all ages to pursue skateboarding. This is GRLSWIRL (Girl Swirl), a sisterhood turned full-fledged organization that rallies women to help communities in need.

Founder Lucy Osinski wanted a fun way to get women on wheels to unleash their inner badass. Soon enough, she had successfully recruited dozens of women who were gliding the streets of Venice Beach. Scared that her organization would get caught up in the influencer craze, she steered the group to focus on philanthropy and ways to better their local community through charity work and mentorship.

GRLSWIRL has proudly given wheels to women helping women. So far, thousands of dollars has been raised for local charities, mission trips to communities in need organized, and kids and women of all ages have taken up the sport of skateboarding.

Learn more about Venice Beach's GRLSWIRL in this interview with founder Lucy Osinski.

#GRLSWIRL #Skateboarding #Women #Empowerment #HerStories #News #NowThis #NowThisNews

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[mikemaceda]

Everyone longs to be accepted in a group of friends. Must feel nice. 🙂

[liztewliztew]

I'm not even sure why this popped up as a recommended video for me to watch (I haven't been watching any skateboarding videos or anything close. Glad it did pop up, though. Watching this made me happy!

[cia]

Like I kinda understand how this could be good but people don’t really care if woman do skateboarding or not especially down in Venice beach

[darkestlight]

My sister and I plan to practice inline skating at a skatepark and we do feel a bit uneasy going there. It's always filled of boys, some of them with cam... Not all of them have a mature mindset and they'd respond not in a good mannered way. I also don't appreciate the stares and being talked about or being filmed. Mind your own business, skate.

[dqymnnk]

it's funny how most of the hater comments appear to be from men - I rest my case lol

[liztewliztew]

This makes me want to move to Venice Beach just so that I can join this group! No, I don't know how to skateboard, but I have always wanted to learn. I just never felt comfortable even trying because it felt like a male dominate activity.

[pinkrose]

This is great!!! Love seeing women/ girls get outdoors and do things that are physically challenging! It builds coordination, strength, self worth, confidence, and teamwork. Women/ girls that participate in sports/ physical activities tend to do better in school, feel better about themselves, seek higher education, less chance of abusive relationships, more confident about themselves and realize what they are capable of accomplishing!

[Mx-veganworldby]

This is a great example of great activism.

[skyrocketcoast]

yes! i was a major skateboarder 1967-1989: taught my daughter to be a super skateboarder! Thank you for what you are doing!

[lisaariottiart]

I love her!! Go GURLS!! I just bought my first board after watching a Gurl Swirl video! Come to Miami Beach for a skate camp!

[deveshtayal]

Just take my money and do whatever you wanna do with it...

[darkdan]

In my professional life most men hate because I will train a female to be better than me in profession but knowledge doesn't have a gender does it?

[privateuser]

Wow what utter BS. If you want to skate, skate. Why does it have to be some grand virtue-signalling movement. Just skate. Garbage content.

[-cdefgabc--cbagfedc-]

Wait so what did she make? Gatherings? I mean seriously what did she make

[Nick_]

I already know there’s gonna be people just mad at this lol

[Nina]

This is SO COOL. I need to come and find you guys. I live in the UK, Devon and started skating now, with my pintail longboard for the first time at 25! I LOVE IT SO MUCH and the confidence and self belief it has opened within me is crazy. I feel like anything is possible on that board. It’s medication and flow and more than I every thought it could be 😍🙌💃❤️

[BeachBumsk]

Yes, we need this…my gf is always on the sidelines doesn’t want to try skating

[SaerdnalasKasper]

It should be inclusion, instead exclusion. Bringing people to skate and not separate women/girls. In the long run Society is even more separated.

[thomas-mctp]

I’d love to cruise with a lady that also loves to.

[jt]

Venice, the birthplace of modern skateboarding. Peggy Oki was a member of the Zephyr crew who shaped skateboarding into what it is today