One topic that I have been quiet about in general over the past few years has been the rise of the woman in skateboarding! Ironically, I haven't had much to say on record as of yet and I am just now forcing myself to process why that is.
It is NOT becuase I haven't been swept of my feet inspired by so many of these women.
For example, Nora Vascocellos is single handedly the reason why the color lavender has become a regular feature in my daily comfort-first, office-casual wardrobe.
Fashion and style are easy connections through the image of bad-ass female skateboarding pros, but we are just getting started. Countless women are emerging as forces to be reckoned with on IG feeds across the cybersphere.
The reason I haven't written a blog yet in 2018 about women skateboarders is NOT because I haven't been moved by the social action that skaters like Lacey Baker symbolized in the ground breaking campaign with Colin Kaepernick for equality. The Dream Crazy video and movement is long what girl skaters and athletes have deserved but been denied.
The reason I haven't written a blog yet in 2018 about women skateboarders is NOT because I haven't been moved by the social action that skaters like Lacey Baker symbolized in the ground breaking campaign with Colin Kaepernick for equality. The Dream Crazy video and movement is long what girl skaters and athletes have deserved but been denied.
Lacey's story aligns perfectly for this message. Having followed her career for a long tome, I know the pressure she was under to look a certain way. Lacey was by far deserving of top status based on her skills, yet other women were getting the opportunities. Lacey was being passed by because she wasn't the look that sold. The fact that Nike took actions to align with athletes who "believe in something" and using Lacey to represent it was reinforcement for me that the era of the woman (and queer) skateboarder was bright, beautiful and here to stay!
Finally...
While I am genuinely over joyed for the rise of woman in skateboarding, I am admittedly a little sad that it didn't happen sooner! Selfishly, (acknowledged) a little too late for my experience. For over 20 years now I have been in a class of really rare members (I felt) as a woman skateboarder. I was really feeling it in 2012, while I was pregnant and then becoming a mother to my daughter. Even more rare was I about to be as a MOM skateboarder.
Much respect is due to the women out there today as the first generation of professionals able to make it 100% off of dedication to skateboarding. There are a small few doing very well, and there are others keeping the fire a live while they lead normal lives around the globe. Moms, nurses, accountants, marketing professionals, designers, artists, models and students... Skateboarding is an acceptable activity for any of these types of women. This may be the first years of that being a true and relatable story for most.
I won't let my bitterness over having been born too soon stop me from pausing to appreciate how amazing these times are! On the bright side, my baby girl gets to live in a world where IF she chooses skateboarding, history can provide her some welcoming folk lore... something that wasn't really available to generations of women skaters before.
I am going to feature women skateboarders over the next however many posts and focus on different aspects about them that move me. I hope you will follow along if this sort of thing interests you, and I would love to hear from anyone who wants to reach out!
Thanks for reading. Next post will be a feature on the woman skater also know as the G.O.A.T! Can you guess who I am talking about? Leave a comment if you think you know who the G.O.A.T is!
Much respect is due to the women out there today as the first generation of professionals able to make it 100% off of dedication to skateboarding. There are a small few doing very well, and there are others keeping the fire a live while they lead normal lives around the globe. Moms, nurses, accountants, marketing professionals, designers, artists, models and students... Skateboarding is an acceptable activity for any of these types of women. This may be the first years of that being a true and relatable story for most.
I won't let my bitterness over having been born too soon stop me from pausing to appreciate how amazing these times are! On the bright side, my baby girl gets to live in a world where IF she chooses skateboarding, history can provide her some welcoming folk lore... something that wasn't really available to generations of women skaters before.
I am going to feature women skateboarders over the next however many posts and focus on different aspects about them that move me. I hope you will follow along if this sort of thing interests you, and I would love to hear from anyone who wants to reach out!
Thanks for reading. Next post will be a feature on the woman skater also know as the G.O.A.T! Can you guess who I am talking about? Leave a comment if you think you know who the G.O.A.T is!
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