I am just about 5ft 3″ and couldn’t hurt a fly. I did ballet for 16 years so that gives you an idea of my build. This completely bewilders people when I zoom past on a longboard that is bigger than me. This may come across as stereotypical, however there is no getting away from the fact that skateboarding is mostly done by males. I think this is what causes a shock on peoples faces when I skate past them.
I started riding a skateboard and now have a smaller penny-like cruiser and a longboard. I skate because I love it. I love the adrenaline you get from picking up speed and having to weave in and out of people walking by. It is incredible fun and a great way to stay a little bit more active. There is nothing more exciting than a patch of perfectly smooth tarmac to glide along. It can also be a wonderful way to relax and gather your thoughts after a long or stressful day. You can make friends through it, you can go on skate dates, or even round up a group of friends, take a picnic and skate off to the nearest park on a sunny day. It makes walking places more fun and is a quicker way to get around. If you haven’t tried it, I do recommend you to do so; I never expected to enjoy it or even stay upright for more than 2 seconds but trying something out of your comfort zone can lead to many great things.
In some ways it makes me proud to be female and skateboarding. There is no better feeling than over taking your fellow male skater and showing them that it’s not just a boys thing. It motivates me to push harder in other things and areas that I have never tried or done well in. It makes me feel empowered to push the boundaries and be a girl in a male dominated hobby, despite hundreds of women already doing it, and many competing professionally.
It doesn’t have to be expensive either, you can get very cheap cruiser boards and skateboards on places like Amazon and Skatehut. Obviously longboards are more but that’s something you look into if you know you enjoy skateboarding.
I hope I have opened your eyes to skateboarding and maybe even tempted you into having a go.
- Subscribe to The Student Pocket Guide for exclusive competitions, deals, discounts, tips and advice!
- Read The Student Pocket Guide.
