My love for skateboarding began at a relatively young age. I can remember forcing my dad to take me to Walmart after my brother’s birthday just so I had a skateboard to use with him and the rest of the neighborhood boys. It wasn’t long before it became the only thing I wanted to go out and do. But, as I started to become friends with more girls, skateboarding became less of a desire. I frequently got the “tom boy” label which just wasn’t ideal if you wanted to fit in. Although something that does not bother me now, I have always wondered why skateboarding is considered so unladylike? And more largely, why is there such a small ratio of female skaters to male skaters even today?
Over the years I inevitably got back into skating and became very comfortable being just among the guys, but I couldn’t help but wish that I had other girls to hangout with at parks. I turned to social media to help with this problem, and it ultimately changed the whole game for me. I never imagined I would become friends with so many girls locally who also skated, and see such an explosion of female support through skateboarding online. It has become so reassuring to see other girls taking part in what has always been considered a male oriented activity/sport. I don’t think I’d be even close to where I’m at in terms of confidence and ability if I didn’t become a part of the female skateboarding community. With that being said, this goes out to every girl who has become a part of it, or has always wanted to.
Although we have come a long way, there are still some issues that need to be addressed in terms of the lack of respect and appreciation girls get within the sport. It’s time that the rad girls of skateboarding get a spotlight, which is essentially what I plan to do throughout my publications. Considering that women bring so much to the table in terms of inclusion, style, and representation in skating, this is what I want to mainly focus on. I will also be discussing the issues that women in skateboarding face both at the park, in public, and online.
Overall, this will be a place for girls to come and support one another as well as share their experiences (the good and the bad). I hope to contribute and welcome others to contribute posts, pictures, and anything else eye-catching that is skateboarding related. I also hope this can be a place for guys and others outside of the community to gain new perspectives about skateboarding in terms of what it looks like from a female point of view.
Skate Like A Girl 