There Skateboards - Championing inclusivity in skateboarding
Skateboarding culture has always presented an awkward dichotomy, preaching inclusivity and community and taking pride in a lifestyle rooted in rebelliousness and outside-the-box thinking, but practicing judgementalism in the face of anything that could be perceived as straying from the ‘stereotypical’ skateboarder (namely straight, white, cis men); even at a pedantic level, skateboarders scrutinize skateboarders – mongo pushing, mall grabbing and rocket ollies are all considered wrong according to skateboarding’s extensive unwritten rulebook. These seemingly minor examples reflect skateboarding’s broader macrocosm; Although skateboarding culture has progressed significantly, reaching mass appeal through Olympic inclusion, and realising unprecedented popularity when the pandemic demanded everyone adopt new hobbies to remain content, there is still learning and growing to be done by all of us.
Although a relatively new company, There Skateboards has forged a space in skateboarding culture that is motivated by inclusivity and progressing discourse relating to the issues of marginalisation within skateboarding that had previously been shied away from. Hailing from Oakland, California, they have assembled a team that exemplifies this message, predominantly made up of trans, womxn, and queer skateboarders. Despite the emphasis on LGBTQIA+ skateboarders within the team, There is unexclusive and a beacon for everybody, as skateboarding should be.