She was a skater girl. That girl being Lucy Osinski (she/her), who’s also the creator and co-founder of GRLSWIRL, a skateboarding collective that “came together from pure magic [and] universal luck.” Lucy serendipitously met co-founder Lindsey Kaye skating down the street in Venice, CA: “We decided to have a girl skate date and after one session with another woman, I was entranced with the feeling of support and shared excitement—it felt electric.” Keep on rolling to hear more of their history and how GRLSWIRL grew to what it is today. 🛹

How did you get involved in skateboarding?
Personally, I was a pro ballerina who never dreamed of stepping foot on a skateboard. I moved to LA and felt super lost, lacking community and direction… until I actually stepped on a skateboard. I was instantly addicted to the feeling of liberation, freedom, and belonging it brought me—but realistically, felt intimidated to step into any spaces outside my neighborhood to skate, especially typical skate spots that were extremely male-dominated at the time.

So, you skated with Lindsey and everything changed. What happened after that?
I started chasing girls down in Venice if I saw them with a board and one fateful night, a group of girls showed up in Venice to have our first totally impromptu group skate. There were only a few of us, but it suddenly felt like we were not a minority, but a force. Skating next to a group of powerful, beautiful, and confident women made me feel empowered to not only try to skate better, but to let go in a city where facades were celebrated. That night a group of women sat down and we decided that our momentum and passion was too strong to stop and we would have to keep holding group skates, and build something from this. We came together by chance, but the nine girls there that night all were weapons in their own right, so diverse in talents, all ready to take on our shared passion of spreading sisterhood through skating.

From that night, we have created two other GRLSWIRL communities in NYC and LA, built out a very serious and organized bonafide business, and run an incredible philanthropic skate mentorship program.

What can new members expect after joining GRLSWIRL?
You will be welcomed with love and stoke. We are all vulnerable in the skateboarding space, and it’s fun to celebrate that. Most people who join make friends, connections, find opportunities, and see a big life change. This is not an exaggeration, we have plenty of stories of folks coming and meeting their best friends here.

That’s so sweet. Now, we have to ask: What’s your fave trick?
Bert Slides!

And what about boards?
We created our own GRLSWIRL Carver Skateboards to impersonate the board many of us learned and progressed on. They’re incredible for all levels, especially beginners.

Do you have any advice for those who want to learn how to skateboard, but are nervous to try this sport?
Approach with patience and curiosity. You got this!