Thrasher Magazine

Photos by Sam McGuire

Josie Millard is part model, part motorcycle enthusiast and a full-time free spirit. She has a solid beanplant, and an energetic outlook that inspires many to look good, feel good and skate even better. Full speed ahead!

Hey how’s it going? What are you up to today?
Today consists of a visit to a local CrossFit box, a cold swim, shopping plus good food. Currently I am in Lisbon on a motorcycle road trip. Today is our first non-riding day so we’ve been taking it easy. I’ve been really lucky to have been given the opportunity to ride the new Husqvarna Vitpilen. It’s a fantastic bike and I’m loving it. Only one small incident in which I rode into the back of my friend—crashing and snapping my bars clean in two! We splinted and lashed the bars with string and beach debris. We rode 100 miles with the rigged handlebars to the nearest Husqvarna dealership who sorted us out right away. Bit of a hairy start to the trip but all part of the adventure, I suppose.
For those that aren’t familiar with you, can you share where you’re from and what it was like growing up and skating there?
I’m from Brighton, a seaside city just below London. I’ve lived there the majority of my life and I grew up street skating with the kids in my neighborhood. Brighton is wonderful in the summer but it rains a lot. It can be pretty grey and the spots are rather sparse. I tend to skate elsewhere in the bleaker months.

Boosted beanplant off the roof in Spain—safer than a motorcycle crash

What’s a typical day like for you?
A typical day for me almost always starts with CrossFit followed by a lovely breakfast. I like routine and this is always my favorite way to start the day. Besides that, I split my time with skateboarding, mountain biking, reading, motorbikes, running and cooking. I also really love to take baths! I take one daily. I have a lot of hobbies. I love to mix things up. It keeps me inspired both on and off the skateboard. I’m big into sports and fitness, including rock climbing, CrossFit, running and mountain biking. I love to learn and progress; try new things. I also love music, design and photography. I studied all of them in school and college, so art has always been a big part of my life.


How long have you been a model? How does that work overlap with skateboarding or does it?
I suppose skateboarding opened the door to modeling for me. I began with SB-related work but have since broadened into other fields. I’ve always been into fashion so it’s super exciting to have a foot in that world.

What are your thoughts on being a part of an all-women’s skate film?
It’s amazing to work on such a revolutionary project with other women. Our styles differ so much and I think it’s going to turn out really rad.


Is this your first full part?
Yes. I have yet to release a full part. Previously I have filmed tricks here and there for various clips, but nothing of this standard.

Did you street skate regularly before this project or was that new to you?
I grew up skating street. Visiting skateparks wasn’t something I really did at all until I was a couple of years into skateboarding. As my confidence grew, I branched out a lot more with both park and street. Nowadays, admittedly, I spend the majority of my time skateboarding at the park.


What cities did you visit for this video?
We spent two weeks traveling in a van around Southern Spain. That was definitely my favorite trip! We had an amazing crew, there were incredible spots and the weather was beautiful. It was very intense in the best of ways. I gained amazing memories that will stay with me forever.

The team featured in this video is pretty eclectic. Did you know many of them before embarking on this project?
Absolutely. I know Sarah well. She’s a good friend and it’s always a pleasure skating and spending time with her. I met Lacey previously on another Nike event in Paris and we got on well right away. It’s been a pleasure to meet other incredible female skateboarders also. The whole crew is just lovely.

Whose part are excited to check out?
Everyone’s! Honestly, I’m just so excited to see the project come together. The tricks, the spots, everything.

Aside from this, what other skate stuff are you up to? Anything on the horizon?
I’ve just been working on a short documentary with Nike and Grey Skate Mag. It’s based around skateboarding but also on my interests that surround it. It’s very different to anything I’ve worked on previously, so I’m excited to see the finalized project. It’s due to release in June, I believe.


What impact do you hope this video has?
If this video inspires anyone anywhere in a positive manner, then that is mission success in my eyes.