HOW NORA FOUND HER OWN LINE

NORA: I got my first skateboard in 1997, but I didn't really skateboard until around 2005 or 2006. I didn't live in Boston or anything, so picking up skateboarding was kind of out there. And growing up in rural Pembroke, Massachusetts was definitely funky because there wasn't too much of a skate scene there. And especially as a girl, it was very isolated. I would go to a skatepark and skate by myself a lot – which I didn't even mind. But it's definitely crazy to see skateparks now with groups of five or six young girls who are best friends skating around.

NORA: When women first started trying to make a career in skating, there was only one kind of woman you could be: you had to have long hair and be beautiful. You could just tell men were running the show. As a whole, it's become way more accessible and inclusive. There's a little bit of something for everybody, which you see a lot now with the people who are making money as professionals – there are all different types of people. Now, there's way more room for all different types of styles, looks, and personalities – it's way more open-minded and welcoming.

NORA: I think it means working to be the best, most authentic version of yourself. And in doing that you'll be better for others and the environment you're in. As skaters, I think we all get inspired by art, music, and other sports. My style has evolved in a lot of ways, mostly because I grew up a skatepark kid who also loved surfing. I looked up to a lot of professional surfers and felt like the women that category were getting coverage and on the forefront of careers in that space. I remember thinking, "how do we pull that into skateboarding?" So I've loved seeing that happen over the years as that same kind of attention has been brought to women in skate.

NORA: The kids at this camp and in this generation are just way more lighthearted. They're fun, very compassionate, and seem to be way more in tune with who they are and how they interact with the world around them. I feel like they're more responsible in social settings and to themselves, which is cool. They're this new wave of epic little beings, and that's a really empowering thing to witness.

NORA: I hope that skateboarding continues to grow in terms of being an open playing field for all different types of people. In a lot of ways, it already is a special community. There are different bodied pro skateboarders making the cover of Thrasher and different-identifying people getting sponsored by major companies and board brands. I hope that just by refusing to be anything authentic and myself, I can help give back and empower other people to do the same – to try to be the version of themselves on the board.