Skateboobs was founded in 2019 in Edinburgh and became Scotland's first Queer-inclusive skateboarding crew. Their mission is not only to encourage more young women, trans and queer individuals to take up skateboarding but also to foster a safer and more inclusive skateboarding scene for everyone. The group was formed by a close-knit group of friends who bonded over their shared passion for skating and the empowerment they found in each other's company at the skatepark. As the crew grew, some members came out and no longer identified with the label of an "all-female skate crew," reflecting the diversity within the group.
The Skateboobs community represents the idea that people with boobs can and should skate, while also acknowledging that boobs are not exclusive to women and that people of any gender can be born with them. The crew has adopted the snail as their logo, as snails choose their gender and embody a nomadic lifestyle that resonates with many of its members. Skateboobs continues to evolve and grow, with members now spread across the globe, but their core mission remains the same: to be a group of friends who love skating and want to empower others to do the same.
How did this begin?
The community began when our friends participated in Cassie’s night at Transgression Skatepark. It was 2019 and we would skate together and go to the pub afterwards. We started the Instagram account as a place to share stupid memes and the most ridiculous edits. Most of us had only just started skating and the solidarity of having a bunch of women or queers to be with at the skatepark was very empowering.Â
It would have been challenging to maintain our commitment to skating if we didn't have each other's support. We motivated one another to stay dedicated and improve our skills, but more importantly, we reminded each other not to take it too seriously and to enjoy the experience. Some of us had encountered negativity at the skatepark and generally found it to be an intimidating environment, particularly when alone.
I remember feeling like such an imposter walking down the street with my skateboard. People would shout 'Do a kickflip!' it made me feel awkward. As soon as I was walking down the street with the skateboobs, we were laughing and shouting and being so loud, and I didn’t care about the attention we were drawing to ourselves or how stupid we were being. It changed everything. - MegÂ
We started posting regularly received lots of nice messages and support and decided to take it a little more seriously. But not too serious. We always try to keep it authentic and silly. We are just a group of friends skating and want to share that and encourage more people to go skate. It’s quite embarrassing how we came to call ourselves skateboobs. Basically, we loved the film Skate Kitchen, and one day in 2019 we were all bamming each other up in the comments section of a post, adding different words onto the end of 'skate', and eventually Eli said 'skateboobs' and it stuck.
Since then it’s come to mean a lot more to us. Skateboobs represents the idea that people with boobs can and should skate, as well as trying to highlight the idea that boobs are not exclusive to women, and people of any gender can be born with boobs. We associated with snails and adopted a snail logo a few years ago. We like snails because they choose their gender. Snails also have their houses on their back and many of us have vans or identify with a nomadic way of living. Snails also go at their own pace, and take life very slowly, which we believe is an important mentality in today’s fast-paced world. Progress can be slow, and you have to be patient.Â
What changes has the community been going through and who has been participating?
When we first started, we all lived in Edinburgh and saw each other all the time. We would skate together and go on adventures every day. The skate community in Edinburgh was different. Then COVID happened and the community changed again. We became more close-knit and everyone tried to help each other stay positive through dark times.Â
Fast forward a few years and now we have spread out globally. Eli lives in Canada, Felix in Australia, and Nancy in Macduff. Meg, Cassie, and Greta still live in Edinburgh. Honestly, it made it harder to run skateboobs, the events, to show up for the community, and just harder to be pals and skate together. Our group chat is always active though, full of shit chat and stupid memes, and we’ve stayed close despite being geographically far apart. For a few months this summer, we will all be living in the same city again, and we are so excited to see what that brings.Â
Like everyone, we are always evolving and changing. The way we run is a non-hierarchical system where we can take work if we have time for it. No member of Skateboobs has a role or is expected to do anything. We think it’s important to constantly remind ourselves of why we started and keep that at our core: A group of friends who like skating and want to empower others. This year we hope to celebrate our 5th birthday with a big Jam for women, non-binary people, and queers (hehe we haven’t announced this yet!). It’s quite crazy we have been going for 5 years - time flies when you’re having fun. Â
Meg Wriggles (she/her)
Meg is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art with a degree in Film and Television. Meg is an aspiring artist and oil painter and is co-founder of women-led production company, Foundry Films. Meg intertwines her passion for art and film with her love for skateboarding and believes that skateboarding is an innately creative sport. She loves hosting art and skate workshops where she can combine her two favorite things while helping the community. She wishes to use these workshops and 'Skateboobs' platforms to shed light on issues within the community and start an open conversation regarding gender, mental health, and LGBTQI+ issues.Â
Nancy Hankin (she/her)
I am happiest when I am exploring with my skateboard and my friends.-Nancy
Nancy moved to Edinburgh from Aberdeenshire for college. After discovering how boring the course she had chosen, Nancy dropped out and began working in the local skate shop, Focus. Nancy loves how skateboarding opens a whole new perspective on spaces and places. It allows you to see and use the city and its architecture uniquely. Nancy has spent 4 months in Palestine with SkatePal teaching skateboarding.
Eli Campbell (they/them)Â
I loved helping and being involved with the amazing brains behind 'Kingston DIY' and 'Edinburgh wheels project' at [former] 'Leith DIY'.-Eli
After graduating from Edinburgh Napier in 2021 with a BSc (Hons) in Animal and Conservation Biology, Eli moved to Banff National Park in 2022, exploring their passion for nature while continuing to encourage the Skateboobs ethos in the Banff/ AB skate scene. Eli's core values are advocating and promoting Mental Health support and 2SLGBTQIA+ issues.  Eli is innately creative and loves to get stuck into doing DIY projects or going for trips exploring in their Van, ‘Angelina’. They aim to learn more about the differences and similarities in skateboarding culture in various countries and continue to encourage people to take up skateboarding. Â
Felix Ritchie (they/them)Â
Many of my best memories so far in life have been with the guys (skateboobs). They will be cherished, and many more memories are in the making. We want to travel a lot more this year and try and make every coming year better and bigger than our last. Watch this space!-Felix
Felix is a University graduate with a BSc (Hons) degree in Physical Activity & Health and MSc in Marketing. Their academic background is mixed with a passion for all things sport and fitness which correlates well to injury prevention teachings in skating - haha!
Felix is currently traveling in Australia, Asia, and the USA. The odd modeling job, and personal training clients get them by.
Cassie MacGregor (they/them)Â
Cassie is a talented tattoo artist at BlkWrkStudio with over 6 years of experience, a full-time husky lover, and a skateboarder. Cassie loves nature, and camping and is a keen artist.
Cassie is the founder of Shreddies Night at Transgression Skatepark and the reason we all met and came together. Cassie has been skating for a good few years has their unique style and loves a bowl.Â
Greta Marzetti (she/her)
We all think of Greta when we see a steep, random piece of architecture, bin, or anything possible to skate—Italian-born and adventure-loving. Greta will say yes to most challenges and that’s why we love her. As well as being a professional gardener, Greta cares a lot about social and political issues and isn’t afraid to say what she thinks.Â
How does the skateboarding community in Scotland compare to other European communities?
The skate scene in Scotland is rough. The streets and pavements are generally gritty you’ve got to get creative with finding spots to skate. There are not many spaces dedicated or built for skating, especially in Edinburgh - so you’ve got to think outside the box which can be fun too. That being said, we love going on our yearly trips to Barcelona. The scene is so different there - mainly because of the architecture and how these cities approach the sport. Edinburgh is keen to stop skateboarding and has placed skatestoppers on anything they can. Whereas cities like Barcelona and Copenhagen feel like they encourage it. This is reflected in the amount of skateboarders and various skate-friendly attractions such as indoor parks and skate-themed bars.
In Scotland, it feels like it’s almost frowned upon. In Edinburgh, it rains all the time. We don’t have a single indoor skatepark. So it is a much bigger challenge to skate. Glasgow feels a little better, with the epic indoor park, The Loading Bay, with beautiful and well-built DIYs, it’s a lot more accessible - but the infrastructure in the city is still anti-skateboarding. We think the council doesn’t recognize Skateboarding as an important community sport, and we see very little funding for protecting it. The weather also plays a huge role in the vibe of the scene. It rains all the time in Scotland, therefore winters can be quite bleak without indoor options. Escaping to Spain for a few days of sunshine and dry spots can be a real treat.Â
Which specific elements or obstacles are you focusing on?
A lack of representation of non-traditional skaters in the media creates barriers to skateboarding~ Eli.
At the time, there was almost no representation of female or trans people in skateboarding, making it difficult for young girls and trans kids to have ambitions to skate when they couldn't see someone they could relate to in the media. It's less about these demographics not feeling welcome and more about encouraging the notion that anyone and everyone has the right to take up space and learn to skate, which is achieved by spotlighting more non-traditional skaters so that youth have people to relate to. Given the powerful impact, skateboarding can have on mental health, everyone should advocate for inclusiveness rather than gatekeeping, as it is one of the main solo sports that is not competitive and breeds creativity, which should be celebrated and encouraged.
Although some claim there is no issue with women skateboarding, this doesn't reflect the female experience. In the past, preconceived beliefs like the expectation to prove oneself before being respected in the skatepark prevented many women from picking up a skateboard, a different experience compared to boys or men who, when learning, are seen as beginners, women are often labeled as "posers" or sexualized. The lack of representation of non-traditional skaters in the media creates barriers to skateboarding, but this is gradually changing as girls are not just used as models for skate brands but are becoming acknowledged, celebrated, and supported for their skateboarding skills, not just their looks.
Promoting good health is an important part of Skateboob's mission. Skateboarding can be such a welcoming community that brings together such an eclectic and wonderful mix of people, often we see that many people use skateboarding as an escape from something. Not only have some of the Skateboob community dealt with bad mental health and addiction, but we realize that lots of folks in the skateboarding community experience addiction problems or negative attitudes towards themselves. We want to use skateboarding to build community and encourage positive dialogues around mental health. Our event in 2021 was an art exhibition, gig, and skate jam at Transgression Skatepark. We had a huge turnout and managed to raise £3000 for The Joshua Nolan Foundation, a mental health charity in Edinburgh that makes therapy moreÂ
The Skate scene in Scotland has shifted so dramatically since Skateboobs’ birth 5 years ago. When we started, it was quite rare to see a big group of women or queers at the skatepark. Initially, we were keen to highlight this problem and dissect that stigma. By becoming ‘Skateboobs’ we let go of our insecurities as individuals, take up space, and be as loud and shameless as we want to be, so we can inspire other people to ignore their insecurities and just go skate.Â
Being role models for young women and marginalized genders is a key driver for us. When we were growing up we felt we didn’t see loads of people like us skating and it made us feel under-represented. That is slowly changing now and that skateboarding has been added to the Olympics is a game changer and helped to encourage more people of marginalized genders to pick up a skateboard.
Just breaking down gender stereotypes in general, for everyone, is an ongoing goal for Skateboobs. When we receive a message from someone saying we got them to pick up a board and go skate, or when we see a group of people form a friendship at our events and start skating together, we feel accomplished in our vision.
Do you work with any other groups? Are there any resources, brands, or magazines/zines from your region that you collaborate with?
The first time a bunch of us met was at a skate meet-up hosted by Doyenne. Doyenne is a skate brand that aims to pave the way for skaters who identify as a marginalized gender. We love the intimacy of their campaigns and wouldn’t be where we are today without them. Shouts out to Doyenne!Â
We also wouldn’t have gotten anywhere if it wasn’t for ‘Focus Skate shop’. In 2021, Focus gave us the opportunity of 'Focus Futures' which helped fund new parts and gear for the crew. We are so grateful to have been considered for this position. They have always supported us and made us feel welcomed and valued in the Scottish Skate scene.
We recently collaborated with local brand Pieute and made some hoodies and T-shirts which were designed by Tonie Nguyen @tonie____Â
We love working with small independent brands and collaborating with our pals. If you’re interested in grabbing one of the last Ts or Hoods DM us on Instagram @skatebooobs (three Os). We love North Magazine and The Skateboarders Companion. Both have good representation. We love reading them and enjoying the epic skate shots.Â
We recently collaborated with Skateboard GBÂ and made a short documentary should you wish to watch it and find out more about us.Â
Shout out any bands, artists, or changemakers from Scotland.
Dinosaur 94 is an epic local band we love! Garden Skateboards are so sick. Back Off Scotland is an amazing organization we’d like to shout out who do amazing work campaigning for abortion rights in the UK and buffer zones around clinics. The Edinburgh Wheels Project helps youth get into construction and skatepark development.
Anything else?
We are always open to anything, be it an art exhibition, a gig, or a skate jam - anywhere in the world. Please get in touch if you have any ideas, need advice, or need a chat!Â
We are organizing a skate Jam coming up for our 5th birthday. Keep your eyes peeled!
The Skateboobs Playlist Withitgirl Radio!
_________________________________________________________________________
Skateboobs Instagram, Website
skateboobs skaters mentioned
Nancy Hankin (she/her) @nancywozhere
Eli Campbell (they/them) @earthy_bones
Felix Ritchie (they/them) @frtchx
Cassie MacGregor (they/them) @justaweeguy_
Greta Marzetti (she/her) @grkin_1312
Photo Credits
Angus Trinder @angustrinder_
Eli Campbell @earthy_bones
Graham Tait @grahamtait
Jenny Nobbs @niffyroo
Kerr Melville @artofthevalleyboy
Kristian Yeomans @kristianyeomans
Lewis Baillie @lewisbailliee
Nancy Hankin @nancywozhere
© 2000-2024 withitgirl. All rights reserved. We appreciate your feedback!
Comments