The personal story
It all started with a very simple, yet unfullfillable, goal. As a boat captain and engineer and a lover of motorized toys, I wanted a cool graphic tee that represented women like me—women who love dirt bikes and tinkering on engines and running boats, among so many other things. Essentially, women who like being in their own driver's seat.
What I found were pinup girls and lame over-sexualized designs that had nothing to do with the rad, bold women I know in these spaces. Where were all the cool designs for us?
I’m surrounded by women defying outdated social norms—on the water, in the dirt, and everywhere in between. But somehow, the apparel industry hasn’t caught up. Guys have plenty of cool gear that represents them. But for women? It was either shrink it and pink it or pinups. And that sucks.
So, I started SmashGrrrl. But this brand is more than just a solution to a lack of cool apparel. The deeper I got into it, the more I realized I didn’t just want to make rad designs for rad women—I wanted to normalize women’s participation in these traditionally male-dominated fields of work and play.
I’ve seen how some women feel like they have to prove themselves or compete with the guys to belong. But that just seems like the other side of the same coin to me. SmashGrrrl isn’t about smashing barriers — for the most part, they’ve already been smashed: We are EVERYWHERE!
It’s about showing that we belong here—on the trails, on the water, on the mountains, and anywhere else we choose to put ourselves—because we always have. It’s not about feminism, though it’s inherently feminist. It’s not about being anti-male, because men are awesome, too.
It’s about making sure that women on the sidelines—the ones who think they have to be a certain way to “deserve” to ride, climb, or captain—know they can just go for it.
In the end...
SmashGrrrl is about authenticity. It’s about knowing who you are, embracing it fully, and letting that guide you into the spaces and passions that light you up. It’s about creating apparel for the women who already do, and inspiring the ones who are thinking about it. We’re not breaking barriers. We’re just doing what we do—and now we're looking damn good while we’re at it 😉
Some women are just born
with fire in their souls
Some women are just born
with fire in their souls
with fire in their souls