Nora Vasconcellos

I was at the ladies Protec and saw a young girl flowing perfectly throughout the pool. She had a great style & a healthy bag of tricks. I couldn’t believe how well she skated. Ray was taking some photographs of the practice so I posted up in a corner & watched. I saw a woman sitting nearby and noticed her enthusiasm everytime the young girl took a run. I asked her about the rider. It was her daughter- Nora. Ahhh…  I understood. We talked then about the contest and the family travels to California. Proud parents. Nora is lucky to have parents like that. I recently had the ladies at Lance’s pool and wanted Nora to be there but she lives near Boston. I made contact with Nora & asked her a few questions and this is what she had to say.

BTO- “When did you start skateboarding and how did you get interested?”

Nora-  ”I have been skateboarding for about 7 years. I got into it in middle school and then really started to compete and travel later in high school.  The earliest influence in skating for me had to have been Reggie from that cartoon Rocket Power - (laughing)  I would watch that show when I was really little and that’s what really got me interested in surfing and skateboarding.”

BTO- “Name some of your skateboarding influences?”

Nora- “Once I really started skating I’d have to say that I really admired Bucky Lasek and Lyn-z Adams Hawkins.”

BTO- “What is your favorite thing or place to ride?”

Nora- “My favorite local place to ride would be Rye Airfield in Rye, NH. It’s a 50,000 sq ft indoor skatepark and it’s amazing…brand new vert ramp and street plaza. They have a really awesome wooden clover bowl too, just everything you would want to skate in one place, unfortunately it’s an hour and a half away.”

BTO- “Can you name a trick that has been difficult for you to learn and the sense of accomplishment once you made it?”

Nora-“Last summer I was skating vert a lot and learned kick flip Indys- which I was super stoked on. I lost them for a while and have been trying to get them back better but that trick was one I was really happy to have finally landed!”

BTO- “Name three tricks that Nora MUST learn!”

Nora- “Okay. McTwist! or any 540 variation. I was working on them earlier this year but hung up pretty bad…I need to get back on that horse.  Uhmm, backside ollie to tailtap on vert would be sick and backlips on rails and front smith kick flip out would be fun.”

BTO-  ”Name three skaters that you think rule it.”

Nora- “Three skateboarders in my mind are : Aaron Homoki,  Grant Taylor and  Raven Tershay …All terrain rippers.”

BTO-  ”What are your future plans?”

Nora-  ”Future plans…move to California to do what I love everyday with my friends.  I really want to push my skateboarding and bring surfing back into that picture. Work to help make more of a place for women in skateboarding. Go to school at some point, I’m interested in marketing and design…maybe work in the industry. First things first though… I just want to get out there!”

Thanks to Nora Vasconcellos for taking the time with us. Thanks to Michael Cirelli for the images. Skate- Ozzie