We have just received a huge drop of Girl Skateboards, all of which are looking stunning. However, there is a new pro in the mix that I feel absolutely compelled to talk about. That new pro is obviously Breana Geering, one of Canada’s finest recent exports. We have all three of her new pro-boards and each one of them is special in its own way. But before we go into the nitty-gritty of these boards let’s talk about Breana herself.
Who is Breana Geering?
Breana has been active in the Canadian skate scene for a little while now, with a clear focus on having fun with skating rather than ‘making it’. Luckily for her/us, she has been enjoying it so much that she has been releasing a stream of sick parts, resulting in her becoming a great source of inspiration for kids across the globe. Her latest Vans part, for example, was incredible. Good vibes, a great aesthetic and some banging tricks. Put a Thrasher cover on top of that and you can easily see how she has recently gone pro.
This pure, authentic skate progression is usually the recipe for a cult hero within skateboarding… think Tom Penny, Wes Kremer or Corey Kennedy, unbelievable natural ability combined with an incredibly endearing nature. A massive part of reaching this status is possessing individuality. A clear style both on and off the board is vital and Breana does it with ease. Often wearing her favourite band/artist shirts and taking inspiration from areas outside of skateboarding, with people such as Joan Jett and Amy Winehouse being key components of her style and persona. However, this doesn’t instantly result in popularity. Not buying into current skate fashion places her in a realm very much open for criticism, but if it is done correctly, as she has, it can easily turn into admiration.
Three new pro decks
Right, time to stop the smoke blowing and get into the deck chat. The spread of these decks is a perfect combination of the classic Girl aesthetic and Breana’s individual style. I will start on the two pro-series decks and finish with my personal favourite, her ‘One Off’ deck, which is slightly different to what you would expect from Girl…
Starting with a design that every single pro for Girl has had, the ever-classic ’93 Til’ series, Breana does not only look amazing, but it also heavily features dark tones, synonymous with her own style. With an all-black backdrop and deep purple accents placed around the centre logo, this deck emits a tastefully moody vibe. The OG Knockout deck holds a slightly less gloomy tone, with bright colour hits of light blue, orange and yellow on top of another black background (I imagine this will be a common theme throughout her deck releases). This deck features her nickname ‘Breezy’ which also lifts the mood of the deck slightly more than the others in her collection so far.
This leads me to my favourite of her decks, the ‘One Off’. This deck is my favourite for a few reasons, the first being the graphics are totally original and maybe even slightly unsettling, in a thought-provoking kind of way. Created by the very talented Charlie McHarg, a friend and fellow skater of Breana’s, it feels as though there is a deliberate depiction of opposing forces, be it good/bad or positive/negative emotions coming from the demon-esque characters placed near the top of the deck. I’ve said it before, and I will almost definitely say it again, I am no artist, but when I look at this deck I see the graphic depicting Breezy keeping the Girl Skateboards fire lit, regardless of outside opinion. Also, it’s an all-black dip, who doesn’t love that?
Skateboarding is entering a very exciting period, with a whole new influx of people falling in love with it. Having individuals such as Breana at the forefront of this is incredibly positive, and will only help skateboarding reach new heights. Showing the scene that not everyone has to follow trends and embrace true originality. In a world of Big Boys and Dunks, it’s always a nice change to see a New York Dolls t-shirt and a pair of Old Skools, and Breana brings that in abundance.
