Girls Return To Ocean City Skatepark For ‘Chica De Mayo’

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Young girls headed to the Ocean City Skatepark on Sunday morning for Chica de Mayo, an all-girls skateboarding session.

Chica de Mayo rotates among skateparks in the tri-state area, according to the event’s founder Zoe Herishen, 14, of Wood-Ridge.

During the event, Zoe teaches girls — some as young as 5 years old — how to ride and perform tricks on their skateboards.

After Chica de Mayo went virtual in 2020, the 6th annual event made a comeback in Ocean City this year. Zoe coordinated Chica de Mayo with Willie Fannon, who oversees events at the Ocean City Skatepark.

“The virtual contest was nice because you get girls from all over the world who sent videos in, but it’s great having that face to face interaction with girls and getting to teach people,” Zoe told Patch.

When Zoe started skateboarding at 8 years old, she remembers being the lone girl practicing flips and tricks in the skatepark. She created Chica de Mayo as a way to boost the confidence of other female skateboarders.

Over the past six years, she said the event has spiked in popularity. About 50 girls came out to the Ocean City Skatepark, with some making the trip from Pennsylvania and New York.

Girls of all ages flock to Chica de Mayo events, including a few mothers who skate with their daughters, Zoe said.

Chica de Mayo offers beginner female skateboarders a safe and non-judgmental space to practice since learning the male-dominated sport can be intimidating to young girls, according to Zoe's mother Tracey.

More experienced skateboarders can participate in Chica de Mayo's contest to win skateboard accessories.

“It’s a great thing to see because every girl in that park was cheering everybody on whether they were doing a kickflip or they were just learning how to push on the skateboard,” Tracey said.

A destination for next year’s Chica de Mayo has not been determined yet, but Zoe said it may move north since it’s been organized in the South Jersey area the past few years.

“We want to make it accessible to even more girls,” Tracey said.

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