Skateboobs: The Queer Skateboarding Group Redefining the Sport
Skateboobs is the first queer-inclusive skateboarding group, founded in Edinburgh in 2019. Their mission is to create an inclusive space for skateboarding and increase representation for women, queer people, and non-binary people. Named after the movie Skate Kitchen and a conversation between friends, Skateboobs are changing the skateboarding landscape, improving representation, community, and pride.
The group was initially formed when all of the members met at a skatepark in September 2019, most of them having recently moved to Edinburgh for university. They all shared a passion for skateboarding and quickly became friends. The group took to Instagram to share their skateboarding edits and content, which eventually evolved into wanting to make a real difference in the skateboard world.
All the members had grown up seeing only male representation in skateboarding, with the only female representation being models for brands.Despite this lack, after growing an interest in the sport they quickly realised that anyone can do it, regardless of identity or even ability.The group chose a snail as their logo because snails select their own gender and live relatively nomadic lifestyles, both qualities that resonated with the founding members of the group, who live alternative lives outside of what might be considered the ‘norm’.
However, resisting convention can be lonely and without community it can be that many are apprehensive to join spaces where they feel underrepresented,hence why groups such as Skateboobs are so important. For example, one of the founding members of the group, Meg Wriggles (she/her), said in an interview that “having a group of non-men to skate with is what kept me skating, and we wanted more people to have that: a community where they can truly be themselves”.
Understanding the importance of community and a safe space in the sport, the group’s Instagram page began to evolve from a place to simply post edits to a tool in changing how queer people, women, and non-binary people were represented within the skateboarding community. They wanted it to become a safe and welcoming space for everybody, regardless of identity, ability, or age.
Not only do Skateboobs aim to create a community that is welcoming and inclusive, but they also work to actively dismantle stereotypes about skateboarders in general, using their social media as a tool in this campaign. Skateboarders have previously earned a negative reputation, earning dirty looks and eye rolls, but Skateboobs emphasise a positive community and a genuine enjoyment and appreciation of the sport. Additionally, the recent inclusion of skateboarding as a sport in the Olympic Games has elevated its status and encouraged more people to appreciate the skill involved, thereby increasing visibility.
As well as being a form of representation in the skateboarding world,, Skateboobs also aims to be a safe place and a community for people to be active in, finding friends, allies, and a sense of belonging. They dedicate themselves to hosting different events from art auctions to club nights.The group also hold fundraisers and charity campaigns to give back to the community and help create a welcoming environment. In 2020, they released a line of t-shirts to raise money for Coppa Feel, a breast cancer awareness charity. The clothes were designed by local artists, printed by local screenprinters, and produced only in accordance with skateboobs' ethics.
In 2021, Skateoob worked on a video campaign in collaboration with Converse, showcasing their pride collection in shots of their members skateboarding through Edinburgh as well as stamping a trans pride ‘you belong here sticker’, demonstrating the group’s significant impact in improving queer visibility, representation, and creating a safe space for skateboarders and anyone else who might be watching from afar.
In the same year, the group celebrated their second birthday by hosting a charity night filled with music, art, and, of course, skating, raising £3000 for Joshua Nolan, a mental health charity that supplies counselling to those in need across Scotland. They even collaborated with ten artists to help bring the night to life, once again emphasising their community endeavours and investment in their people.
At the centre of Skateboobs’ work is the intention to change everyone’s idea of what a skateboarder might look like. When you take away the charity events, the social media campaigns, and the magazine interviews, they are changing the skateboarding scene simply by being visible on the streets of Edinburgh. Children walking past can see that skateboarding isn’t just a sport for men, and you don’t have to be a professional either. It isn’t an exclusive club that only a few are granted permission to join; the sport is for everyone, and so is the community.
What started as a group of friends skating together in Edinburgh has become a significant movement, inspiring community, empowerment, and representation. Skateboobs, drawing on their own experience of skateboarding as a formerly men’s sport, have completely dismantled previous ideas and reimagined it, opening the doors to anyone, regardless of ability or identity. Their investment in local community, charity events, and fundraisers has solidified them as an essential safe space not only for the people who attend their meetups, but also for the thousands who follow their social media and watch their posts, increasing their visibility across the globe. It is clear that the founders of this group created a meaningful movement, not just for their own enjoyment or benefit, but to genuinely make a difference in the skateboarding community. Even outside of the sport, representation is so important. Seeing Skateboobs out in Edinburgh together will change the ideas that even the general public has about skateboarding and who typically participates in the sport, making a huge difference and removing limits people might have put on what they think they can achieve.
Written by: Freya Dunlop @freyadunlop
Edited by:Shaunamay Martin Bohan@f4wnfatale
