In honour of International Women’s Day, on March 8th, we give seven of our women riders the opportunity to tell you about their experiences in the world of action sports.
Not always a level playing field our crew of rippers has had to go out on a limp to succeed in their chosen action sports. And while the jibe “you ride like a girl” may have at one time been a put down thanks to the likes of TSG women riders the expression is now a genuine compliment.
Find out how they made it to the top and feast on a few tasty titbits of advice and inspiration from the crew to help you on your ride.
I Aimee Fuller – snowboarder, broadcaster & author
Despite being born in the UK, far away from any mountains, Aimee Fuller become a professional snowboarder with two Winter Olympics under her belt.
Listen what Aimee has to tell you:
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
II Anna Pixner – downhill skateboarder
Austrian skater Anna Pixner is a true speed demon on her longboard, but also wildly courageous and inspiring off her board.
My sport thought me to not care what other people think about me. So just forget about the people around you, do what you enjoy and have fun.
Anna shares some advices with you:
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III Kara Beal – mountain biker and YouTube star
Kara Beal is blazing new trails on her MTB while inspirating up and coming girl mountain bikers the world over on her social media channels.
The best way to overcome fear is to trust in your own ability. Repetition for me is really good because it builds on my confidence.
You can follow Kara’s mountain biking progress live on her YouTube channel. In the reel below she gives you tips on how to push yourself and grow on the trail.
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IV Lara Lessmann – bmx rider
Lara Lessmann is a German pro BMXer who has paired luck with hard work to climb to the top of the global bike elite.
I’ve learned from my coach to ride with my heart and not my head.
Did you encounter any difficulties when you first started your sport?
In my sport, BMX freestyle, I felt like everyone was always welcome, no matter where they were from or where you’re at. Of course, when you get older and start growing up, people don’t treat you like “their brother” anymore but as a respected woman. I really like that I always felt myself and it was like coming home when I came to the park.
How did you end up doing bmx freestyle?
I started riding my bike because my older brother was very good at it. Unfortunately, he stopped a few years later. He still supports me and I think he’s very proud. I always tried to stay focused, doing what I love and going my own way. Sometimes it worked and sometimes maybe not so much but today I live in Berlin and I’m living the dream, riding my BMX and training every day to get better.
What do you suggest to overcome fears in your sport?
For me personally it helps to talk to friends about it. I’ve learned from my coach to ride with my heart and not my head. In extreme sports it’s not always easy to overcome your fears, especially for me as a woman, but there is no better feeling than when you land the trick you’ve trained for or dreamt of for years. It is very motivating to have friends trying the same trick or pushing me and for sure the best part is when we’re all happy that we’ve learned something new.
What advice would you give to a girl/young woman who’s just starting in your sport?
Trust the process. An advice that helped me a lot was to take it step by step to reach my goal. Everyone has their own tempo of learning or doing well in life. There is no rush. Don’t worry about what people think of you. You can’t change them. Just be yourself, be happy and enjoy the moment.
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V. Lea Jugovac – snowboarder
Lea Jugovac, from Croatia, is constantly pushing her limits on a snowboard, overcoming fear and conquering obstacles in her path like an absolute queen.
Fear is nothing you have to be ashamed of but it is important to remember how much hard work you’ve put into it and continue believing in yourself.
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
VI. Leilani Ettel – snowboarder
From snow and water to concrete, German young-blood Leilani Ettel loves to shred hard whatever the board is under her feet.
let your actions speak louder than words!
Did you encounter any difficulties when you first started your sport?
I’m very grateful that I grew up skating, surfing and snowboarding with an amazing family. Early on I fell in love with all three sports. I feel comfortable skating big transitions and therefore snowboarding in halfpipes but nothing beats a sick powder day! 
What do you suggest to overcome fears in your sport?
Fear is almost always present in my sports and it’s important to learn to live with it and use it for good. For me, if I’m scared of a new trick I try and channel that energy and use it as motivation and give me confidence to stomp it. It always works like magic. Invest your energy wisely!
What advice would you give to a girl/young woman who’s just starting in your sport?
Of course, I had a couple of encounters of having to work against the typical stereotype of girls in action sports but it’s always best to just be who you are and let your actions speak louder than words!
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VII. Teresa Fernandez – bmx rider
Spain’s Teresa Fernandez is one of the world’s best bowl riders on a bike and is not one to shy away from the scary bits of action sports.
I encourage all the girls who are afraid to keep trying
Did you encounter any difficulties when you first started your sport?
Starting out is never easy, but little by little I made a place for myself among the boys and ended up being one of them.
How did you end up doing the sport, you’re doing now, what brought you here?
Mainly out of curiosity. Seeing the boys doing BMX impressed me and I love extreme sports, I asked them to lend me a bike and learned it was fun.
What do you suggest to overcome the fear in your sport?
Well, you overcome fear through practicing, so I encourage all the girls who are afraid to keep trying. When you are motivated and do something with enthusiasm, everything ends up being positive.
What advice would you give to a girl/young woman who’s just starting in your sport?
Don’t be ashamed to practice these sports and do the tricks you want to learn as many times as you need, no matter how many times you fall. With effort you can achieve anything you want. Perseverance is the most important thing when you like something.
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
The overriding words of wisdom from our women riders is that if you tackle challenges head on, while being true to yourself you can be the mistress of your own destiny and succeed. Keep trying and never give up however hard the line ahead looks. And don’t forget the girls of the past cracked the codes that got us this far and it’s up to you to keep on shredding and help unlock the future for the women that come after you.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Paul Thölen just released a new bmx video, which he’s been working on secretly with his good friend Felix Prangenberg. Time for us to ask him some questions.
by MARKUS WILKE – photos by ANTON ARENS
2022 sure was a busy year for Paul Thölen. He tore up bowls in Spain, Italy and on the Gold Coast, joined the infamous Fast & Loose Crew for a month-long trip across the United States, and also entered every stop of the UCI World Cup Series.The 24-year-old also managed to finish up a new web edit, which he’s been working on secretly with his good friend Felix Prangenberg.
Rest assured that Paul did all of this with his signature style, enough altitude to reach Senator status on any frequent flyer program and a huge smile on his face. Let’s find out what Goldilocks has to say about traveling nonstop, giving up on circus tricks and filming street clips for his latest solo project.
Hey Paul, how are ya? What have you been up to lately?
Whats up! I’ve been enjoying some downtime lately. I got home from Australia just before Christmas and been hanging at home since, which I really needed after a hectic, but super fun 2022.
How many days were you actually home in 2022 and what are your favorite memories from last year?
I can’t really tell how many days I spend away from home, but definitely a lot. I’ve been on tons of trips last year and all of them were special, but I think the Fast and Loose Colorado/Oregon one was a trip of a lifetime for sure. Awesome crew, camping and the best concrete skateparks in the world just do the job.
Amazing! Traveling is awesome, but it also can take its toll. How do you cope with being away from home so much?
Since I’m traveling a lot, I made a lot of friends in so many different places and so traveling is the only way to see everyone every once in a while, haha. I just enjoy exploring new stuff so much. The boundaries of my comfort zone have shrunk to a minimum, so that even if there is just a shitty tent, no toilet or shower and only bread and aioli to live on I can cope with these situations quite well. That’s something I only learned by doing it.
It’s good to have a nice homebase, though. You’ve been living in Cologne, Germany for a while now. What do you like about living there?
That’s right! I moved in with my good friend and fellow BMX rider Marcel in 2021 and absolutely love the city. Cologne always had a big BMX and Skate scene and good spots in and around the city. Plenty of bars and hangout spots to spend your nights out as well, haha.
Speaking of partying, your new web video just dropped and you guys had a premiere at the re-opening of Halle 59 in Cologne, Germany recently. How did that go? And how does it feel to watch the video on a big screen with a bunch of your friends?
After we figured out some sound problems, it went really smooth. It was the first time premiering a video of myself and it definitely was exciting. I usually like to stay in the background a little more so I felt a little uncomfortable in the beginning, especially when I had to say a few words. But other than that it was good fun. Thanks Felix and Dany for making it possible!
Are you happy with how the video turned out?
Yes, I definitely am. I love Felix‘ work anyways and we always wanted to do a project together. I was really stoked we finally got to do it and even more on the outcome.
Let’s talk shop! How did the idea for this project come about and how long did you guys film for.
Felix and I always wanted to work on something together and since we both were stuck at home due to Covid, we thought it was the right time to do it. We filmed pretty much all of last year. Not necessarily because stuff was taking so long, but because we both started to travel again and it got harder and harder to find time slots that worked for us.
Have you ever filmed this long for a video part before?
Not really. But I definitely like to not have a fixed deadline, as it just releases the pressure.
Transition riders don’t really film videos too much anymore. Why do you think that is?
I feel like it’s harder to film a proper transition video, because there are simply not as many transition spots and skateparks as street spots. It just makes it harder to not repeat yourself, if that makes sense?! Other than that I just enjoy riding without filming anything so much, haha. Not that I don’t like filming, but everyone knows riding is little different with a camera pointing at you.
One thing that’s cool about this video is, that you’re riding a bunch of street spots in it, too. Now, you’re primarily known as a Park rider. Do you ride Street regularly?
Street riding is definitely something the pandemic got me into. All the skateparks were closed for a while, but I still wanted to ride. I also love, when transition riders come out their comfort zone for a video part and bring some transition style to the streets. Corey Walsh and Dennis Enarson are a huge inspiration for that!
There’s also some trails footage in the video. The spot you’re riding is fairly new and I know you also had a hand in it. Give us the low-down.
I think, these are the clips that get me stoked the most. Michael Hanfler and myself started a new trails spot in the beginning of last year. We put in so many hours of work and we’re super happy with how the jumps turned out. They’re big, fast and steep.
Nice! Did you guys set out to film an all-round video (Park, Street, Trails) or is that something that happened organically?
No, we didn’t have a plan for the video at all. All the street clips happened organically. The trails clips we’re something we both wanted to get. But when we started filming, it was no even sure, if we could ride the jumps by the end of the year haha.
There are a couple of guest clips in the video. Sharing the fun with your friends is a big one for you, right?
Yes, that’s what BMX is all about in my opinion. I love all the clips the homies got, Michi’s 360 over the big set especially. That was the craziest thing to happen at the trails so far.
Which trick was the biggest struggle to get done?
I’d say the 360 fast plant at the very end. I had that one stuck in my had since 2015 probably. I’m not kidding. I wanted to do it so many times already, but never came anywhere close to landing it. Then that day I somehow had a good feeling about it and the guts to go upside down. It still took me about 20 or 30 tries to actually land one and clear the box.
And which one was the scariest?
Probably the Cannonball out of the slide. I had to give it all pedaling towards the slide without knowing if the “landing” was clear. There was no way to stop once I jumped on the slide. Luckily nothing happened and no one got hurt.
That sounds stressful. Do you get stressed out while filming or are you only going for stuff that comes naturally?
I never really stress out to be honest. Of course there were a few clips that took me a little longer than others, but I always try to be relaxed about it.
The Ender was something you’ve been wanting to do for a while now, right? Walk us thru the process of finally getting this trick done.
When I was filming for a project with Markus Wilke back in 2015, I think I stumbled across the idea of it. Not because I saw it somewhere before, but just because I was getting into fast plants a lot more back then and loved dipped 360s anyways. But I still had a hard time with it ever since. Besides the one in Duisburg there are not many setups that would work for that trick, so I was unable to try it all the time. So in the end it took me years to finally land one. Once that happened, Felix and I decided this one to be the ender quite quick. It was also the very last thing we filmed for the video, haha.
What about the rest of the filming? Did you have a trick/spot list you ticked off or was everything more a spur of the moment kind of thing?
I think every single clip other than the fast plant, I decided on the spot. I always used to imagine tricks or lines in my head before actually going somewhere and it very often did not really end up the way I wanted to. So for the most part I stopped doing that. I just go to a spot and do what I feel like doing the most.
I know you’re very particular about what tricks you’re doing. A few years ago you were doing a lot of “circus tricks”, but lately you’ve been leaning more towards style, flow and unique lines. Was that a conscious decision?
I’d say, that was something that developed over the years. There was no hard cut between the two types. The Vans Pro Cup series definitely had an impact on my riding, when I first entered in 2017. I just more and more fell in love with trying to ride as smooth as possible and trying to find lines in unique skateparks. It’s such a pure form of riding, I think. I just love the feeling of becoming one with your bike and going fast and smooth without letting go off the pedals and bars. Also the geometry of my bike has changed so much throughout the years, which makes all the tricks that I used to do even harder than they already are.
Another thing you’re really picky about is your helmets. Which one is your favorite one from the TSG collection?
That’s right, haha. I always struggled finding the right helmet for my weird head. TSG gave me the Meta helmet to try and it felt awesome right away, when I put it on. It’s super light and comfortable to wear, but still makes you feel save.
In the end of the video your infamous red VW camper makes a brief appearance. I know you enjoy that van life a lot. So much actually, that you bought a mobile home last summer. How’s that been going?
Yes I have two campers right now, which is kinda stupid, I know, haha. I’m trying to sell my motor home again, though, because I’m so in love with my transporter.
When’s the next time you’ll be hitting the road again?
I might hit the road at the end of February down south to wherever the weather is better than at home. Probably something like Malaga and the south coast of Portugal as I would love to go surf as well as ride bikes.
Shout-outs?
Obviously a huge shout out to Felix Prangenberg and Anton Arens for doing the project with me. Also shouts to Vans, kunstform BMX Shop and TSG for supporting our idea. Love you guys!
Read more about Paul Thölen by clicking here.
Together with our UK partner Ison Distribution TSG supports the pioneering skatepark in Corby, UK
We are stoked to announce that we have signed a sponsorship agreement with the incredible venue Adrenaline Alley.
Adrenaline Alley is Europe’s largest action sports venue and boasts a unique combination of ramps, foam pits and training areas catering for new riders, world champions and future Olympians alike. This great sporting facility based in the heart of the UK enables anyone from complete beginners right through to Olympic medallists to enjoy their chosen sport and develop their skills all year round.
Adrenaline Alley is a registered charity operating as a social enterprise. This makes it all the more attractive for us. We like to support facilities and projects that give young people low-threshold opportunities to participate in sports.
Mandy Young MBE DL, Adrenaline Alley’s co-founder and chief executive, says: “TSG is a fantastic brand for us to partner with as our values are very much aligned. While we focus on providing a safe environment for action sports, TSG focus on safely protecting the individuals who take part in them.”
Adrenaline Alley already act as one of the main training facilities for a number of TSG’s team riders including BMX freestyle Olympic Bronze Medallist, Declan Brooks, and aspiring Team GB athletes Ashley Finlay and Sasha Pardoe.
Watch video of Declan helping to prepare the skate park with new TSG logos:
So go visit Adrenaline Alley skate park and by the way TSG products are available from the onsite Skatehut store at Adrenaline Alley.
Find more TSG retailer in the UK by clicking here: ISON
Selected gifts for everyone who feels at home in the snow or bike park.
I Snow Park Riders
II Bike Park Riders
III Skate Park Riders
Want to find more gift inspiration? Check out our gift guide!
Give your kids a reason to get outside.
Want to find more gift inspiration? Check out our gift guide!
We just met Paul at Northbrigade skate park on a beautiful sunny day and filmed his lines. Enjoy!
video by WOOZY BMX
So much flow and speed in these lines. Check out more about Paul Thoelen.
Mountain bike team rider Hannes Klausner had a crash that could have easily ended his career. In his TSG saved my life story he tells you why he wasn’t knocked out totally.
story by HANNES KLAUSNER – photos by ROMAN KLOTZ
A Day like any other
Entrance check. Get ready. Focus. Go. A Day like any other. Been out riding and shooting. Aggressive and fast trail riding as I love it.
Out on trails I know very well. Trails I know every single root, every single rock and every single hole on.
Trails I really know my lines on. Trails I feel comfortable on going fast.
A good day
A good day spending time in my comfort zone doing what I love most. A day feeling super well on my bike and being happy with my riding.
Good fun. Good times. Good day. Pretty much all perfect.
All of a sudden everything changed
But then. All of a sudden everything changed.
I still don’t exactly know what happened.
I went down hard on a very fast section right in between the trees and it felt like one of the hardest impacts I ever had.
Not rolling down the hill after going over the bars. Not loosing my front tire and sliding down the trail. Just a very hard impact that stopped me on point and felt really painful.
A tough one.
After staying on the ground for quite some time to even realize what just happened, I got checked in hospital and luckily walked away with no major injuries. Scratches and bruises all over and a sore body like never before, but no broken bones and no major inner damages.
A crash that could have easily ended my career, but also a crash that left me extremely thankful to be alive and be able to come back to do what I love most.
Super thankful for the high-quality pads and helmet
Such a privilege.
TSG saved my life
Looking back, I’m also super thankful for the high-quality pads and helmet that helped a lot to protect me from bigger injuries on this one and for every single gym session to keep my body fit and be able to take slams like this without being fully knocked out.
A day that ended a lot different than planned, but happy and thankful to be alive after a crash that could have ended a lot worse.
After a crash that could have changed the rest of my life pretty much. Make sure to keep your body fit and use high quality protection if you’re keen to get out there and ride bikes properly. It’s an amazing sport that we have and so much fun to shred bikes down the hill and through the woods, but it’s also a dangerous one.
You wanna keep riding bikes a lot longer, right?
Get out, enjoy the ride but make sure to stay safe and protect yourself.
CHEERS & RIDE ON, Hannes
Click to visit Hannes’ rider profile.
Check out Hannes riding gear:
Read more TSG saved my life stories
We are super stoked that TSG’s Nick Pünter takes 3rd place at the Big Air World Cup in Chur.
PHOTOS by Big Air Chur/ Lämmerhirt
Nick Pünter has ensured a TSG podium finish at the kick-off of the snowboarding season. The 20-year-old from Zurich jumped to 3rd place at the Big Air event in Chur. For him it is the first podium in the World Cup.
It started exciting, because Nick couldn’t stick a clean landing in the first run. But after that it went smoother and he had his local crowd screaming after he landed a front double 1080 weddle on his final jump to move into second. Ruki would bump him into the third spot on the podium though, with his final jump effort.
Luckily the other competitors were not able to improve significantly and could not pass Nick. So he landed on the podium, absolutely deserved and the swiss crowd went wild!
Congrats Nick!
Japan celebrated a double victory at the top. Takeru Otsuka won with a total of 166.50 points, clearly ahead of his compatriot Ruki Tobita (140.00).
Watch the best-of-snowboard showing Iwabuchi, Gasser, Otsuka and young star Nick Pünter in action.
We extend our tentacles of protection into active mountain wear with the creation of the waterproof, stormproof, and breathable Hybrid Line.
By dumping all ours and our team’s firsthand knowledge of riding into the design pot we believe we have created an outer shell that will make days on the hill way more comfortable and fun.
The Hybrid Jacket
The Hybrid Jacket is built from a hard-wearing 20,000 mm waterproof and 15,000 breathable fabric.
It features waterproof zips, fully taped seams, a removable snow waist gaiter and Velcro cuffs to keep out the wet and snow even in the gnarliest of bails.
The hood is helmet compatible with two-way adjustability to also keep out the elements.
Laser cut breathing vents in the snug full zip neck lessen the chance of goggle fog and ice build-up.
Easy-opening underarm zipped vents regulate your inner climate between rides and hikes and a long tail cuts out the damp when sitting in the snow is unavoidable.
All these rider-driven features are packed into a regular fitting build with pre-shaped arms for unhindered freedom to shred and a host of pockets are included for all the on-mountain essentials.
The Hybrid Pants
The Hybrid Pants have been designed by the collective on-mountain knowledge of our team riders and crew.
Naturally, as mountain wear they are water resistant, windproof and breathable. But for added comfort and freedom to shred we’ve incorporated zonal hardwearing stretchable soft-shell fabric.
The waist is adjustable, with anti-slip coating and belt loops for a secure comfortable fit.
A removable stretchy bib with adjustable suspenders adds another layer protection from the snow when the conditions get steeper and deeper.
Zipped outside leg vents to let off steam between sessions and zipped lower leg openings with nylon-reinforced hems make it easy to adjust boots and customise the pants fit.
The pant also features zipped front pockets and bib pocket, as well as a double closure zip fly.
Available from size XS – XL.
According to the team we didn’t leave anything out but ultimately it’s down to you to test it and see.
What are you waiting for? Go ride!
Shop Now
We are really excited to announce the release of our brand new women’s bike apparel line designed in collaboration with legendary sportwear designer and athlete Heida Birgisdottir.
We have been making bike apparel since 2014 but 2022 will be the first year that we are delivering a women’s specific apparel line to all women out there shredding the trails, parks and single tracks, or just pounding the tarmac on heavy commutes to work.
The line consists of two technical long sleeve riding jerseys, the Floral LS and Race Jersey LS; two short sleeve riding jerseys, the Floral SS and Trio Jersey SS; the performance all-mountain Ridge Shorts; and the Ridge DH pants designed for race days, days out on the trails and beyond.
Designed to make a day in the saddle more comfortable
Each piece is brimming with bike specific features designed to make a day in the saddle more comfortable, safer and of course more stylish. Jersey’s are built from a quick drying, moisture wicking stretch fabric with zonal airflow panels for freedom of movement and a cool comfortable ride even when putting the pedal to the metal. This is complemented by both race heritage design on the Race Jersey and Trio, while the Floral SS and LS feature a subtle pattern inspired by rain forests.
Our playground is the nature
“Most of the time when designing prints I’m inspired by nature,” says Heida. “Rain forests feel exotic, are so beautiful and diverse, home to hundreds of plant and tree species, and they are also essential to our planet but endangered. We all need to be more aware and protect and respect nature our planet. For us mountain bikers, our playground is the nature, and that’s why I felt this was the right path to go with the print.”
Both the Ridge Pant and Ridge Short are built from a toughened 4-way stretch fabric for freedom and flex, with double stitching adding to their durability for seasons worth of riding. A high-waist with an inner anti-slip band and extra stretch back yolk provide secure fit and comfort in and out of the saddle while a race-ratchet closure delivers a confident fit with on-the-fly adjustability.
We wanted to work with a women designer that rides bikes as well
Designed specifically with the needs of women bikers in mind Heida Birgisdottir was a logical choice to design the collection. As well as having over 20 years experience designing women’s riding gear – including for her own label Nikita, the vanguard of women’s snowboard gear – Heida is a dab hand on a bike as well as boards.
Throughout my carrier as a designer I’ve also been the end customer for the product.
“Throughout my carrier as a designer I’ve also been the end customer for the product,” says Heida. “I would never feel true to myself as a designer or to the brand if I wasn’t involved in the sport that I’m designing for.”
When we decided, we wanted to work on a women line, Heida was the first person who came to our mind. We didn’t want a man designing it because of the female specific cuts and fit. So an expert like Heida was the obvious choice.
Like all TSG gear this new women’s bike line is on the cutting edge of performance and functionality with style an evident nice addition to the package. It is also lighter and more stretchy than the men’s editions, perfectly tailored to the female shredders who are going to be blasting around in it.
The Women’s Bike Apparel line has now hit the trails, so keep your eyes pealed as it will fly out of the shops as fast as TSG rider Kara Beal points it down hill.
In this video below, Kara talks you through each piece of the line:
Remove that layer of pressure. Get out there and have fun.