Shred Sisters

A group of women in their 50's and even 60's picked up skateboarding later in life. They don't care what teenage boys think, even though most wish their moms were so cool. Skating for exercise, for a thrill or just to "let go" of the day, the shred sisters defy skater standards and remind adults that you are never too old to be rad.

Meet The Skaters

Barbara Odanaka

Age: 51
Age I learned to skate: 9
Favorite Skate Park: Lake Cunninham Skate Park, San Jose CA
Why I skate: Skateboarding is my therapy, anti-depressant and fountain of youth rolled into one. It demands concentration and focus, forcing me to think only in the moment. It's like zen on wheels.
What I would tell a grown women intimidated to skate: Everyone is intimidated when they start and some of us feel a little intimidated years later. But that's skateboarding!

Tamra Bowman


Age: 56
Age I learned to skate: 54
Favorite Skate Park: Etnies, Lake Forest CA
Why I skate: Adrenaline high! Keeps me active and lets me sleep better at night. I get a lot of admiration from my peers who don't skate and it's a huge ego boost, I won't lie!
What I would tell a grown woman intimidated to skate: You've got to do it because YOU want to do it.

Sandra Peterson


Age: 52
Age I learned to skate: 49
Favorite Skate Park: The Cove, Santa Monica CA
Why I skate: To keep up with my kids and younger husband. Plus, since I'm always the oldest mom at least I'm the coolest mom.
What I would tell a grown woman intimidated to skate: Learn the language and use it every time you see someone do a cool move. You get respect and gain tremendous popularity.


Michelle Bergmann is a graduate student in journalism at USC's Annenberg School and an adventurer which is why she loved covering this cool and inspirational story about women challenging themselves mentally and physically. She used the plug-in "skrollr" for the parallax effect. The video at the top was taken with a GoPro camera and the video package was shot, edited and written by Michelle. This was her first time coding and building a website!

Reach Reporter Michelle Bergmann here.