INTERVIEW: Amelia Brodka on Empowering Women and Girls Through 'Exposure'

Interview with Amelia Brodka on 'Exposure'

What is your name, where are you from and what is your background in action sports?

Amelia Brodka - I am a Pro Skateboarder and Olympian. I also directed Underexposed and co-founded Exposure. I do a bit of event commentary as well for X-Games and other contests.

What is Exposure and how did it come about?

Exposure Skate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering women, girls, trans and nonbinary individuals through skateboarding and teaching compassion through service. We offer a range of classes, camps, retreats, college scholarships and events for all ages. Our most known program is our main Exposure event which has been bringing the global community of nontraditional skateboarders together for 12 years to skate vert, bowl and street events as well as raise funding and awareness for survivors of domestic violence. We started as just an event - we wanted to create space for these skaters at a time when there were seemingly no opportunities for women and girls in skateboarding.

Why do you think it’s important to have this program/events in action sports?

Skateboarding is such a powerful outlet & community. It has brought lots of magic to my life and I would like for others to feel as though they have a space in skateboarding & benefit from its ability to build resilience, confidence and most importantly, community. That's why our programming includes opportunities for individuals ranging from first-time skaters to pros. The space needs to be nurtured in order for it to flourish.

Where can people experience Exposure events?

We have community events throughout the year as well as Exposure weeks at Woodward for youth and adults alike. Our main event will be in Encinitas on November 2 & 3, 2024. You can find our full 2024 schedule here: https://www.exposureskate.org/2024-event-schedule/

What’s the best moment you’ve had running this event?

There have been so many magical moments running the Exposure event. I will say it has been the most fun just seeing the growth of the community year after year as well as the growth of the individual skaters. During our first event in 2012 some of the girls who are still a part of our event were tiny groms and/or wildly talented skateboarders with no outlet. Today, I get to see them all grown up with tons of opportunities ranging from pro model boards and shoes to Olympic medals. It's rad to have seen the industry catch up and begin supporting these girls and nontraditional skaters.

What’s next for you and Exposure?

I am super excited about the things we have going on this year! Personally, I have some new graphics coming out for my Arbor Skateboards Pro Model deck and I will be the commentator for the Paris Olympics. As for Exposure, we will be dropping a collab shoe and apparel line on Etnies, we have our first Exposure Skate and Snow weekend coming up in April (alongside our year of events) and we are anticipating our biggest event to date with Exposure 2024.