By Bethany Webb
Young women across the nation are forming a new all-female skateboarding community, gaining traction on social media and coming together to share their passion for the sport.
Social media has become a new hub for women to encourage each other to take part in skateboarding, an old trend which has made a resurgence across media sites such as TikTok and girls’ support pages such as ColchGirlsSkate.
The ColchGirlsSkate Instagram page, which has amassed over 1,000 followers, offers participation within the community and a safe space to ask questions and gain advice from others.
Viral page Girls Skate UK is leading the way in female solidarity within the skateboarding community, offering their own blog, merchandise, events, and page dedicated to the sport. Over the past seven years, they have hosted events for thousands of skateboarders, helped to organise countless girls’ nights that have inspired and encouraged others to set up their own local communities: now a total of over 50 across the country.
The community is committed to the growth of the female skate scene in the UK, optimistic that their community fund will help more skateboarders to continue their passion. With the £200 grant, the opportunity is there for individuals to start their own projects, based on certain guidelines so they can spark a wider interest in the sport.
Some examples of current projects include Skate Event, where individuals can hold events and the team will help promote the event, as well as supply a venue, coaching, and catering. Another example is DIY Spot, which helps to fund new equipment for skate parks.
British Olympian Sky Brown is a key figure within the skateboarding community, as Britain’s youngest summer competitor at 12 years old. A training accident left her with a skull fracture, a broken left wrist, and broken hand, but Brown returned to the sport after recovering.
In a Eurosport interview, she said: “I was motivated to go harder and to just get back out there. I wanted to show girls around the world that nothing should ever stop you.”