Cara-Beth Burnside & I created hoopla skateboards w/ the mission to encourage girl's participation & progression in skateboarding at a time when very few brands supported the female skate scene. Looking back at the last 11 years, I feel very proud and fulfilled with all that we were able to accomplish.
In a world that is now more inclusive & diverse than ever, we have seen a steady rise in the popularity of female skateboarders as well as increased market value. This is the world we have always dreamed of.
With our industry now fully supporting women, it ironically makes it very difficult for a small niche brand like hoopla to continue to thrive. The landscape has changed as it always does in skateboarding — but, the high note is that women’s skateboarding is in a better place than ever before.
Managing a skateboard brand from the ground up has been one of the hardest & most rewarding experiences of my life & I'm extremely grateful for the experience. Our team riders (past and present) have all become family to me, & I feel honored to have played a small part in their budding careers early on.
Sending sincere thanks to everyone that supported us over the last decade – including team riders, fans, customers, photographers, filmers, & mags. Thanks to George & Juli Powell & everyone at Skate One Corp. who believed in us & helped facilitate our vision. Thanks most of all to Cara-Beth Burnside for whom without her influence, leadership, & no-bullshit-spirit none of this would have ever been possible.
- Mimi Knoop
After riding Powell decks for many years, I was given the opportunity by Michael Furukawa at Skate One Corp. to create my own board brand. This was an honor but I needed a co-pilot for this mission to happen. I asked Mimi Knoop if she would join forces with me and this was the beginning of an all girls skate brand that we called hoopla skateboards.
The skateboarding industry has changed so much in the last few years. Female skaters now get the support they need from bigger companies. I know hoopla helped pave the way for this to happen. It was so rewarding and surreal to have had such a rad team of girls represent hoopla over the years. I am stoked to have formed friendships with such a diverse and talented group.
It's really hard to continue with a small girls’ board brand when so many companies are now interested in the women's market. We feel like it's the right time to close down the brand and move on to the next chapter. Thanks to George and Juli Powell as well as Michael Furukawa for their vision and support of the brand and our mission over the last decade. Thanks to those who bought our products, our team riders, media, and to those that believed in what we were doing from the very beginning. I also want to thank Mimi Knoop who wore multiple hats over the years and was responsible for making hoopla a brand that was respected, legitimate, and one that we were proud to be a part of.
- Cara-Beth Burnside
It has been our great pleasure to work with Cara-Beth Burnside and Mimi Knoop to introduce many girls to skating, encourage those who were devoted to it, and help craft careers for hoopla's amazing and wonderful team. We are proud of what we did together to further women's skating. The hoopla team was filled with amazing skaters, each a star and inspiration.
The hoopla team helped to publicize just how well women can skate, and helped to create an onramp to skating's main road. Young girls and women have taken this opportunity so seriously, that they are no longer content to be part of a separate but equal skate community. In this era of the "Me Too" movement, shattered glass ceilings, and equality of pay, women have chosen to participate on each major company’s skateboard team, instead of supporting brands like hoopla, created just for women.
We honor this reality and step forward for women by shuttering the hoopla brand. We wish each of our athletes success in their careers, and thank them for their contributions to skateboarding and the women’s movement. hoopla RIP.
- George Powell
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