JenThe Monday M.A.S.S. is one of my favorite podcasts of all time and fits very well with the spirit of this action sports-meets-nerd stuff spirit of this blog. Chris Coté and Todd Richards are experts so when they came up with the Monday M.A.S.S. Awards for the best snow/skate/surf athletes and videos of 2020, I definitely agree. However, women and nonbinary individuals remain underrepresented in action sports, and I decided that they needed their own category so that we don’t forget the progress being made by them. That’s how I came up with my unofficial female and nonbinary addition to the Monday M.A.S.S. Awards.
Snowboarder of the Year – Jill Perkins
Jill Perkins has become the It Girl of urban snowboarding, and she’s got two Snowboarder Awards. She got to show off what it means to be the Women’s Most Valuable Video Player in her part in The SNOWBOARDER Movie: Tangle, and she helped increase the visibility of queer snowboarders as one of the five pros/industry members who came out together in Torment.
Skater of the Year – Leo Baker
We really started seeing Leo Baker come into their own as their true authentic self in 2020. Through Nike, they got to speak up about being nonbinary, and they also garnered mainstream attention with their appearance in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2. Alongside Cher Strauberry and Stephen Ostrowski, they found the queer-centric company Glue Skateboards and released the video “SMUT”.
Surfer of the Year – Caroline Marks
Caroline Marks entered 2020 having recently qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. Although that was postponed and the WSL Championship Tour was cancelled, the buzz around the new adult continue as she made Sports Illustrated’s Fittest 50 list and posed for their Swimsuit Issue. She also scored a signature watch collab with Freestyle USA.
BMX Rider of the Year – Hannah Roberts
Continuing the momentum she has been generating in the past couple of years, Hannah Roberts focued on training during quarantine and making sure her spot in the Olympics was putting her on the path to the podium. She won the 2020 NORA Cup Women’s Rider of the Year and also got engaged!
Snowboard Film of the Year – The Uninvited II
Jess Kimura has done it again. The Uninvited II features female urban snowboarding veterans alongside new faces from around the world, busting their butts for some gnarly footage and also having fun in between. Like the opening quote by Milton Berle, they’ve made their own opportunities when there wasn’t any for them. Time for the rest of snowboarding to get with the program.
Skate Film of the Year – Credits
Vans’ first all-female skate video was a source of light at the start of the pandemic. It features street skating faves and BFFs Una Farrar, Breana Geering and Fabiana Delfino hitting spots around the world (and occasionally getting in trouble). It’s effortlessly cool with lots of 8mm footage and hand-drawn animation by Poppy Olson giving it a scrapbook-like feel for a year to remember.
BMX Video of the Year – Angie & Perris – Reno
(I swapped out surfing with BMX since I watch more of the latter and feel a bit better talking about that.)
The ladies of CULT return with a fun video shot in the streets, parks, and trails of Reno. It was cool getting to see their sick flowy style on different terrain, and they always look like they are having fun following each other or putting their individual spin on an obstacle like the little bowl at the end.
Just because this is a blog that comes science and nerdy content with action sports, I have to add my own little category:
Best Intersection of Action Sports and Nerdy Content – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2
Is there any surprise? Skaters and gamers alike, along with anybody who grew up in the late 90s/early 00s, were hyped for this, and sales reflected that. It’s now the best selling game of the franchise and winner of Best Sports/Racing Game at The Game Awards.
To the Power of X 