Global Leader in Action Sports Announces Signature Athlete Experiences with Snowboarder Jamie Anderson and Skateboarder Lizzie Armanto as well as New Girls-Focused Programming at Woodward Summer Camps
In 2022, Woodward, the global leader in action sports experiences, announced a brand-wide focus on the inclusion and empowerment of women and girls in action sports. In keeping with this commitment, Woodward announced today two new female Woodward Signature Athletes: iconic snowboarder Jamie Anderson and groundbreaking pro skateboarder Lizzie Armanto. With the goal of driving awareness and participation of women and girls in action sports, Woodward’s partnerships with Jamie and Lizzie will introduce a variety of Signature Athlete Experiences over the next several years. In addition, Woodward will be adding new programming aimed at welcoming more girls to Woodward West and Woodward Pennsylvania camps this summer.
“Jamie Anderson and Lizzie Armanto personify what Woodward stands for and how we hope to impact action sports moving forward in terms of creating more opportunities for women and girls. In addition to working with Jamie and Lizzie, we’ve added new programming at our summer camps specifically to encourage the participation of girls in action sports including girls-themed weeks, a new Roller Skate program and scholarships specifically for girls.”
– Woodward President Chris “Gunny” Gunnarson
Jamie Anderson has built a reputation as one of the best snowboarders in the world. Known for her snowboarding style and strength, Jamie gave the United States a gold-medal sweep in the debut of Olympic Slopestyle competition at the 2014 Sochi Games. She soared to victory in a near-flawless run to make history for the United States as the first-ever women’s Olympic Slopestyle Gold Medalist. In addition to her many career wins, Jamie has been giving back to the snowboarding community through her participation in a multitude of camps as well as her active hand in her own non-profit, the Jamie Anderson Foundation, which has provided more than 30 young winter sports athletes with equipment, clothing, season passes, and financial aid so they can travel to the USASA national competitions.
The partnership started at Woodward Park City on January 22nd with a “Jamie’s Jam” event. Woodward and Jamie partnered with local non-profits Youth Sports Alliance and SOS Outreach to host ten underserved girls who received a private “Give Back with Love” premium experience with Jamie, which included a half-day private experience, lunch, and getting outfitted with new gear from Jamie’s sponsors. Jamie’s Jam is the first of several unique events Woodward has planned with Jamie Anderson. Future events will include an on-snow Women’s event hosted by Jamie and guest appearances at Woodward Copper’s Snowboard Summer Camp at Copper Mountain, Colorado.
“When I was nine, I was gifted my own hand-me-down, also, new-to-me snowboard gear, and it changed my life forever. My goal is to cultivate the development of young riders, to bring girls together, and to celebrate snowboarding. I’m excited to partner with Woodward to continue introducing snowboarding to more and more girls and help them believe in themselves on and off the mountain.”
– Jamie Anderson
Lizzie Armanto is one of the most groundbreaking women in skateboard history. She’s the first female to be featured on the cover of Transworld Skateboarding and is also the only female skater to successfully complete Tony Hawk’s 360 Loop, in addition to being featured as a primary character in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video games. With over 30 awards on her mantle, along with the first-ever Gold in X-Games Women’s Park competition in 2013, Lizzie’s path is setting the tone for generations of women in skateboarding.
Lizzie will host a themed girls’ week at Woodward Pennsylvania and Woodward West summer camps this summer, which will have unique co-developed activations focused on physical wellness, injury prevention, and kindness, as well as girls-only skate sessions hosted by Lizzie. In addition, Woodward and Lizzie will collaborate with a non-profit to provide scholarships to underserved girls so they can attend summer camp and receive a private experience with Lizzie at camp. Future collaborations will include Lizzie-themed skate features, experiences, and merchandise at summer camp.
“Woodward has been instrumental in bringing action sports to the forefront, and I’m really excited to be a part of their efforts to create more opportunities for women and girls to pursue skateboarding. Woodward has been a big part of my life throughout my career, and I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with other girls from around the world.”
– Lizzie Armanto
As part of their partnerships with Woodward, Jamie and Lizzie will also join Woodward’s Women in Action Sports Advisory Council, where they will share their deep industry knowledge and lived experience as women in male-dominated action sports to enhance Woodward programming for women and girls. The Women in Action Sports Advisory Council seeks to enhance the status, representation, and opportunities for girls and women in action sports through Woodward branded experiences and advises Woodward on positively increasing participation and awareness in action sports.
In addition to adding new Signature Athlete Experiences to its locations, Woodward is adding new women- and girls-focused programming. There will be eight girls-themed weeks this summer at Woodward West and Woodward Pennsylvania, which will offer specialized instruction from female professional athletes, inspiring girls-only sessions, and engaging recreational activities like Grip Tape Art clinics and meditation. Partners for girls-themed weeks include:
Exposure Skate, the largest annual Women, Trans, & Non-Binary Skateboarding event held in Southern California and founded and organized by pro skater and Olympian Amelia Brodka, who will headline the Woodward experiences July 2 – 8 at Woodward Pennsylvania, and July 30 – August 5 at Woodward West.
The Poseiden Foundation, a 501(c) 3 Nonprofit inspiring youth to pursue their passions and accomplish their dreams through Empowerment, Love, and Support and by teaming up with community, professional athletes, and city officials to create life-changing experiences for youth using the platform of skateboarding. The experience will take place July 16 – 22 at Woodward West and will feature Micaela Ramirez, founder and president of Poseiden Foundation.
Bloom BMX, the leading girls’ BMX media platform. Woodward camp experiences will feature Angie Marino, pro athlete for Vans and Cult, current US National team athlete, and co-founder of The Bloom BMX, and will take place June 4 – 10 at Woodward West and June 18 – 24 at Woodward Pennsylvania.
Woodward will also partner with Moxi Skates to launch a new roller skate overnight camp at Woodward West (July 16 – 22) and Woodward Pennsylvania (July 30 – August 5) featuring Michelle “Estro Jen” Steilen, founder of Moxi Skates.
In addition, there will be more opportunities for more girls, with Woodward providing scholarship opportunities so that girls who might not have the financial ability can attend summer camp.
The new programming is being developed by Emily Brooks, the first Women’s Action Sports Manager for Woodward Camps. Her role is to develop a female-centric curriculum and programming, assist sports program managers with hiring female coaches and counselors, and work with female visiting athletes and partners to create an inclusive and supportive environment for women, trans and non-binary individuals.
“It’s essential for women in action sports to feel empowered and confident. Our goal at Woodward is to give women and girls the tools they need to progress and succeed in the world of action sports through our incredible staff and programming.”
– Emily Brooks, Woodward Camps Women’s Action Sports Manager
