excerpt from Womxn Skate History by Natalie Porter
Bonnie Blouin (RIP) and her younger brother Blaize (RIP) were powerhouse siblings in the skateboarding community during the 1980s. While this entry does end tragically [*Warning*], the goal is to celebrate the life and contributions of Bonnie, whose presence in Thrasher was often the only positive portrayal of women, in contrast to its heavy saturation of content catering to pre-pubescent boys.
Photos: Billy Pickett
Bonnie was born on April 1963 in Santa Monica, CA then moved to South Carolina, and eventually headed to Richmond, Virginia and also lived in Charleston, West Virginia. Her brother Blaize was a vert legend and went pro for G&S.
Bonnie had a ‘zine called True Devotion that she wrote with her roommate Gigi Gits. In a letter to Thrasher in February 1986 she wrote, “‘Hey-O’ from the East Coast. This here’s Vol. II #5 of True Devotion. Many headaches later… What do you do when your only other female skate / mag partner quits skating, shines the zines and follows The Grateful Dead?! Ya smile, ya drink a few and then ya get down to business. And that’s exactly what I did… This is the ‘last’ issue of True Devotion.”
Bonnie was also contributing to Lapper Mag, which was based out of Virginia and launched by Bruce Adams in 1984, documenting the East Coast scene. A small photo of her appears in Lapper Mag Vol. 2, No. 3, with her brother Blaize on the cover as well as YAKK ‘zine #1, skating in the Psychoramp II Jam. In 1986 Bonnie submitted True Devotion to the zine department of Thrasher, along with a letter and made an impression that led to further publication.
…
There is plenty more to this article on Womxn Skate History…