Nina started her own homemade ‘zine, Emerald Nation, to help cover and inspire girl riders from all over the world.
Country: USA.
Nina has finished her first issue of Emerald Nation, a bmx zine for girls.
Michelle Kelley, intro issue 1: There is no foundation for women in BMX. There is no culture. We have one outstanding website with basic information on girls and photos of their riding, but only one perspective of it all. Though the site is truly revolutionary in and of itself, further growth is necessary to keep our sport alive. We have no idea what is really going on in each others lives. We have no idea where the sport is headed. The level the riding is at in the present moment is also just the beginning of more to come. It is time to broaden our horizons and watch the sport grow.
When I started skateboarding at age twelve, other girls in the sport didn't exist to me. The only girl I had ever heard of was Cara Beth, and had never seen her in a magazine or in a video, just words that spoke of her. The skill level wasn't even truly known or established then in any way. You never heard of girls doing handrails, and no one EVER expected any girl to do one. That was about 14 years ago. I can remember the first time I saw a girl in Thrasher magazine doing a kick flip, that was about 10 years ago, truthfully I couldn't believe my eyes. Girls' skateboarding in the past decade and a half has come a very, very long way. Somewhat recently about two years ago I saw a girl doing a 5-0 grind down a 15 stair rail. Now I see girls frequently in Magazines. You can also see their skateboard companies, camps, and their clothing companies popping up all over the place. The level of girls skating, and the skateboard industry established by the girls for the girls, has long surpassed that of anyone's (accept the girls who've stuck with it and believed in themselves) expectations.
Girl's establishment in BMX is pretty much where girl's establishment in skateboarding was about 10 years ago, if that. We are behind, but we can't skip all the necessary steps needed to build a firm foundation on which to stand and further grow. We can't go straight to the X-games and be commercialized, and then shit on and laughed at when it's all said and done. The level of riding is not anywhere near the level needed to entertain the world wide audience of commercialism that has not the intelligence to truly appreciate the value of women in BMX. If we do not build a solid foundation on which to stand and to further grow, we will not last.
In creating this zine we are creating an outlet for you, for your story's, your lives, and your perspectives. With everyone's help we can start to establish the foundation for women in BMX. Then hopefully for the sake of the sport get the ball rolling for more girls to start their own thing, their own companies, their own sites and teams. This zine will be created by your lives, by all of our lives. More girls will see that there is a place for them in BMX, not just watching their brothers or boyfriends ride from the sidelines.
So get out there and ride your bike. And when u hit the pavement, the ground on which you walk, the value of foundation will be present…
Taj BMX Media: Zine made by: Michelle Kelley, Nina Buitrago, Anita Hodgin, Stacey Mulligan, and Kari Olandese. Emerald Nation is a zine made by Girl riders for Girl riders and to educate any male rider on the state of or the progression of women in BMX. Women in bmx have decided it is time to create our own industry, to fill in the foundation for the future of women in bmx to stand on. This zine will show you the lifestyles and culture of women in bmx. You will see art, poetry, strong opinions, health tips, road trips, philosophies and much much more. please support women in bmx by purchasing our zine. All proceeds go directly back into the making and distributing of Emerald Nation Zine.
Number of pages: 34
Size: 5.5 x 8.5 in B/W
Originally released: 11/ 2003
www.emeraldnationzine.com: Highlights of ISSUE 2 include:
-Gears and Gals tour the inside story, find out what really went down, by nina B and anita H.
-Interbike experience by Anita Hodgin
-"Get a Real job" a woman in a man's world, by michelle kelley
-Take a quiz and find out what kind of rider you really are, by stacey mulligan.
And much much more!!!!!!!! (we can't give it all away hehe)
Michelle Kelley, intro issue 2: If you seek approval or attention for anything you do, your intentions are in the wrong place. What do you seek? From where do you seek it? Is approval from the guys industry that important? Do you even approve of yourself? I dont think the problem is that there isn't equality for women in bmx, I think the problem is that not enough girls are willing to do it for themselves. Do you want to ride for a company and become pro? Start your own company. Do you want to be in the magazines and have your photo hanging up on the wall of some little girl out there searching for a role model? Start your own magazine. Do you want to be in a video magazine or video? Make your own video.
Women sell themselves short. We have every opportunity in the world to create our own industry. There are enough women with enough education out there to create opportunities for themselves and others. If you are going to college study business, photo journalism, take writing classes; if this is your passion you have every opportunity to make it your future. Dont sit there and complain because you arent treated as an equal and arent given opportunities like the guys are. Women in bmx is growing and if we are willing to work with each other and if enough women start their own thing, the foundation will be built. This isnt a competition to see who does the most or has done the most or will do the most. Just do something and have fun with it. If it is your passion then let your heart create it. And reach out to the world. Seek within yourself to find and create opportunities and answers, but most of all learn to approve of yourself first. You will rise and fall in your life, but if you choose to, you will never walk away empty handed. Other people dont make that decision for you.
Kari Olandese on the cover. Photo by Dolecki.
Nina Buitrago on the cover. Photo by Sam Shlappi.
Anita Hodgin on the cover.
VEGAS TO COLORADO: INTERBIKE '04
FOX GIRL TOUR
EMERALD NATION/WOF WINTER JAM AT CHENGA
TORONTO METRO JAM
UK GIRLS JAM '05
BUILDING CEMENT BARRIER
BIKE CHECK
BIO: JESSICA AUSEC
PLUS LOTS OF READER PHOTOS AND OTHER COOL STUFF!
Bea, www.magnoliabmx.com, october 2005: I just got the latest issue of Emerald Nation (issue 6) today, that is, the magazine formally known as Emerald Nation. The unnamed magazine was an awesome read; best of all, my favorite part was on "The Wrath of Labia". The coverage on Metro was great, there were tones of pictures, even a few pictures of Van on her bike and one with her rocking out her broking elbow. If you turn to the second last page, you have two pictures of me, well actually one picture of me riding and one of my frame with "heart MORGAN WADE" on the down tube haha.
Nina Buitrago in Barcelona, Spain on the cover.
Peta Shepard somewhere in Australia on the cover.
Bea, www.magnoliabmx.com, november 2006: EMERALD NATION (I wouldnt say recently) brought out their latest issue, Issue 8. This is the first color cover issue, and it's loaded with lots of interesting road trip stories, a specific article writing by Natalie Wagoner and her "beef" with the Dew Tours, and last but not least my rider profile! haha.
www.myspace.com/emeraldnationzine: We did this issue with a color cover, which doubled the cost of the zine's production. Unfortunately this means the cost of this issue has gone up as well..thank you for your interest and support and to all those who made this issue possible! .