Interview with Stefani Nurding | Preview our next collaboration
British Skateboarder Stefani Nurding has carved a role for herself in a sport thatâs mostly dominated by the boys. Check out her Instagram and you find plenty of pink, glitter and frills alongside the clips of killer skate tricks. Running her blog, The Concrete Chameleon sheâs been vocal about demasculinising the skateboard, dressing how she wants to dress and letting skate ability speak for itself.
Stef channels her creativity into both her skating and style - whether itâs making custom grip tape for her boards (check the Lazy Oaf one for this shoot), starting her own skateboard company or DIY glittering her Mercedes. We chatted to Stef about why you should be proud to skate âlike a girlâ, her style icons and adventures for the summer, plus we reveal an exclusive first look at our next collaboration collectionâ¦
Hi Stef! How's it going?
Hellooo :)
So how did you start getting into skating?
I got into skating from snowboarding - I thought it would be a good way to fill the summer and then I got addicted to it. I had never thought that it wasn't for me but I would get so many weird comments about it. Someone even once said to me that I didn't need to skate because I was pretty what the hell does that even mean ffs! It's so important to encourage more girls to take part in things they want to do and it's important for us to support each other in whatever those things are.
We love that youâve been vocal about reclaiming femininity in skating, wearing what you want to wear and rejecting the âtomboyâ label female skaters usually get given. Have you found it challenging to carve a role for yourself in a sport thatâs mainly dominated by guys?
I think that the sport is for anyone but the media and marketing around it, presents it in a way that mostly excludes women. When they do include women, it's in a way which appeals to their mostly male readers/ consumers¦ because they're trying to sell products to them. I have found it challenging because I have never wanted to be part of any "boys club", I have always wanted to do my own thing and up until recently I wasn't sure where I fit in I've now accepted that I don't and that that's a good thing.
Who inspires you â who are your role models and style icons?
I am constantly getting inspired by different people but at the moment my faves are¦ Sita Abellan¦ (the outfits are just too good!!!) Ava Nope, Isaiah Davis is my favourite skater to follow right now¦ he has some spicy grams too. Arthur pshpsh is another - the list is endless.
How would you describe your style in 3 words?
Colourful, Experimental, Bold.
Your DIY glitter Mercedes is mental haha â what have you got planned for it nextâ¦
Thank you! I want it to be Pink Chrome so me and my friends can lol around with the top down drinking frapps in a pink shiny car. Hahaha
What projects do you have coming up this summer?
I am going to New York, Seattle and Sweden over the next month which is a mixture of skate trips/contests. Iâm going to shoot a look book for an American brand and then California and Florida to skate bowl in the summer.
I am always working on my blog (The Concrete Chameleon), Iâm going to be styling something for Vans, got a few photography projects and also a few collaborations I am hyped on. I just started a skateboard company called Salon skateboards so I will be working on that alongside everything else!
Our next collaboration collection is with Hello Kitty (launching in June!), what piece are you most excited about?
I love the red turtle neck⦠but those Jeans with the kitty heads OMG
When did your obsession with Hello Kitty begin, and what is it that you think makes her continually such an icon?
She can be anything and apply herself to anything and I think people just love her. It is hard to put your finger on it, but when you see Hello kitty itâs so exciting to see what she is going to be doing next. She pops up everywhere.
Youâre super active whether its surfing, skating or snowboarding â but what do you do when youâre feeling lazy AF?
I love the spa, steam room, hydro poolâ¦get me there now. Order takeaway, eat snacks, watch series. Veg. Pinterest.
