Nora Vasconcellos On THPS 3+4, In-Game Branding, and What’s Next

Pro skater Nora Vasconcellos is one of the most notable women skaters in history. Hailing from Pembroke, Massachusetts, she has already influenced and continues to inspire tons of skaters. Not just because she rips (which she does), but because she brings her unique personality into everything she does, and you can’t help but be drawn to it. So, when it was announced that she would be in the upcoming remake, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, it just made sense.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Nora about becoming a playable character in THPS 3+4. Growing up in Massachusetts in a town that is “as random as it gets” (via Vice) for a pro skater to come from, the THPS series was one way she was able to connect with skateboarding culture. To be included in a series that is as legendary as THPS, Nora describes the feeling as “surreal” and is “very excited” to be a part of the new remake. She also mentions how playing these games at her cousin’s house, who owned a PS2 and GameCube, helped shape her skating in real life.

“Just like the skate parks. Like, everything you skated in the games is a massive transition. I was a vert kid, so I was really drawn to that,” Nora said when asked about how the THPS series influenced her skating.

“There was also the Skater Island level. Skater Island was only an hour from where I grew up, and it closed in 2006, and that was when I started skating. So, I never got to skateboard there, see it in person, and I’ve only ever seen videos, and played it on Tony Hawk,” Nora continued. “So, that’s one that is kind of wild because it was like two ships in the night. There are so many Northeast skaters who went and skated there, and there are demos and stuff that have gone down. But yeah, I just missed it by months.”

Arguably, becoming a playable skater in THPS immortalizes them, and in turn, becomes one of the faces of the culture for people outside of the realm of skating. People who don’t keep up with skateboarding know names like Andrew Reynolds, Elissa Steamer, Geoff Rowley, and Kareem Campbell because of these games. That isn’t a detriment to what these skaters have done within the world of skating, as all of them are legends in their own right. But not everyone can penetrate the mainstream like Tony Hawk or Bam Margera.

With that being said, what these playable skaters wear in-game is what people will probably remember them by. When asked about any restrictions the developer had regarding their in-game attire, Nora discussed her mindset when choosing the outfits for her in-game persona.

“Maybe? I don’t remember there being much,” Nora said in regards to potential restrictions for their in-game attire. “I think just being authentic to who you are, and like stuff you’d actually wear. So, I just went through my closet, and I tried to look at things that in like 10 years I’d be like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s still something I would be wearing.’ Trying to be true to me, and not trying to get too dressed up, like stuff I would skate in.”

A similar mindset was employed when selecting board graphics. Nora rides for the brand Welcome Skateboards, a skateboard company founded in 2010 by Jason Celaya, who also illustrates many of the company’s original graphics.

RELATED: Elden Ring Skateboards by Welcome Skateboards Revealed

“We tried to do some that were in season, but then stuff that would probably continue in the next couple of years,” Nora said when discussing how they chose graphics. “So, certain board graphics with Welcome that we’ll probably reuse.”

“For instance, the Baker boards have always been pretty iconic,” Nora continued. “And the imagery and the logo are iconic. So, stuff like that, where there’s going to be longevity.”

A skater getting their likeness in THPS acts as a sort of time capsule for their life at that moment. When asked if there was anything they absolutely had to have on their in-game character in THPS 3+4, Nora mentioned one part they thought was “cool,” and how their in-game model differs from themselves already.

“I mean, the tattoos were cool,” she said. “The way that they render the tattoos, and I had to take specific images of my arms and my leg, because we had shorts in one shot, and I have one leg that’s tattooed. I think that stuff is really cool. Even since then, I’ve had a couple of tattoos added, so it’s funny to see like, oh, that was there, that wasn’t there.”

Nora skating on a Welcome board and wearing her pro shoe for Adidas is important for creating an authentic skateboarding experience. This even extends to the non-skateboarding-focused companies featured in the game, like Electrolit, as many of them are sponsored by those companies. For instance, it would be pretty weird to see Jamie Foy without a Red Bull hat or Tony Hawk without a Birdhouse board. I asked Nora about her thoughts on the importance of branding in-game, and it seems she shares the sentiment.

“I think so. I also think the in-game branding kind of maps out a time; it creates an essence,” Nora explained. “You’re going to play the game, and it’s going to feel like it’s in real time. But then, when you reminisce about the game, the imagery and the logos that you remember skating over in that one level come back to you, and it all meshes together. So like, I drink Electrolit all the time, and I think a lot of people do who are skating. So, I think it’s important to have that representation. It’s really rad. It’s like a time stamp.”

The THPS series has inspired many kids to pick up a skateboard, and the playable skaters almost act as ambassadors for the sport. As Nora has already inspired many skaters before being in a video game (she was also in Session: Skate Sim in 2022), she is a perfect addition to the THPS 3+4 roster. When asked what advice she would give to girls looking to pick up a board, her answer was pretty simple.

“Do it. Don’t even think about it,” Nora said. “Do the thing you want to do, and try to just do stuff that makes you feel like you’re a kid. You know, that makes you have fun, and makes you feel free, and lets you kind of lose yourself. I think, right now, it’s hard because you’re so inundated with the phones, and iPad, and social media, and I think it’s really hard for kids to disconnect completely. So, anything physical that lets them go out and just try something new and fail and learn, and stuff like that.”

“And don’t be afraid to go to a park and ask questions,” she continued. “Typically, everyone I ever interact with at skate parks is really cool. Whether they’re older or younger, that always helped me growing up.”

Since the first entry of Tony Hawk‘s Pro Skater was released in 1999, the series has been known for showcasing the diversity of skateboarding, showing that more than just dudes can skate professionally. Longtime legends like Elissa Steamer and Alexis Sablone, as well as current pros like Nora, Nicole Hause, and Lizzie Armanto, continue to pave the way for skaters of all different backgrounds, creating a more inclusive environment for the sport. Nora spoke about how skaters can help continue to create a welcome environment, as well as shared a story exemplifying how skateboarding doesn’t favor one gender anymore.

“I think that just making sure that people who don’t look like you or who maybe aren’t your gender or who represent something different than you feel comfortable around you and at the skate park,” she said. “Make sure everyone feels comfortable. Whether you’re skating a curb or skating a park or whatever, just try to be thoughtful and considerate.”

“Now, it’s definitely different, though,” Nora continued. “It’s so crazy. I was skating the other day, and my friend’s son, who is a little ripper, he’s like five or six, and these other girls are skating the bowl, they’re like 10, and they’re so good. He commented, ‘Oh, that trick was amazing.’ Then someone else said something, and he’s like, ‘Of course they’re good at skateboarding, they’re girls.’ He’s growing up in Southern California around skate parks where half the time, if not the majority of the time, most of the places he’s skating, there are enough young girls who are at such a high level that he correlates being good at skateboarding with being a girl.”

“It’s like the tables have turned,” she explained. “There are so many kids growing up now where skateboarding is not run by either gender. Like, it feels more like an even balance. So, that’s like all you can ask for. That is pretty ideal, I think.”

In terms of what’s next for Nora, she recently moved on from Krux to Thunder, which the latter released a small part for her last year. While the move wasn’t something she “anticipated,” she stated she “wasn’t really stoked on the direction of what was happening with Krux.” She also stated that “a major part” of the switch was “long-term potential to be in the van with some dear friends.”

Nora is also working on a new part, and has been for a few years now. Although a release is not yet set in stone, it will be for Adidas and Thrasher, and will feature “all the best stuff” she has done over the past few years.

“I’m like three years into a part with Adidas and Thrasher. It’s all the best stuff from the last three years, so it’s been like a labor of love, and I’m really excited for it to be done,” Nora said.

“When you haven’t had a part in that long, or something that’s of a certain caliber, you can be really hard on yourself,” she continued. “You just want to feel like you’re doing your job, so I’m excited for it, though. I’m really super excited.”