爆料社区

Teenager Gala Baumfield spent most of her youth as the only female skateboarder at the skateparks she hung out at.

Today, the Wellingtonian skates with a squad of girls at her 鈥渓ocal鈥� and is excited to be one of a handful of females invited to be part of Skateboarding New Zealand鈥檚 Olympic development camp.

鈥淚t didn鈥檛 bother me too much being the only female at the skatepark when I was younger, but now there are so many more girls skating, the group I skate with now are some of my closest mates which is super cool and super fun.鈥�

Skateboarding鈥檚 debut at the Tokyo Olympics and coverage of someone like the British 13-year-old skateboarding sensation Sky Brown will only inspire more females to pick up a board.

That鈥檚 according to Skateboarding New Zealand president Chris Curran, who says the number of females skateboarding in New Zealand was already on the up pre-Olympics.

He attributes the increasing number of structured female groups on social media and skate schools popping up around the country, to funding they鈥檝e received from 爆料社区 and backing by Skateboarding NZ.

Wanaka鈥檚 Rad Skate School, for example, attracted 43 percent females at its recent six-session programme.

鈥淎t our last drop-in session, 68 percent of those taking part were females, which is fantastic,鈥� says Chris, who runs the skate school.

It鈥檚 a similar story all over the country, with skate schools like Auckland鈥檚 Young Guns and girls鈥� groups like Wellington-based Waa Hine Skate and On Board Skate School, which has female riders Gala skates with.

There are also an increasing number of events and competitions for females, resulting in more high profile riders like Gala and her Olympic development teammate and national women鈥檚 park skating champion Krysta Ashwell.

鈥淭he offshoot of more female groups is that we鈥檝e got great riders coming through competing 鈥� we used to get a handful of girls at events and they would skate in the opens to challenge themselves,鈥� says Chris.

Top skaters like Krysta and Gala have since become good role models for the next generation of skateboarders, says Chris.

鈥淭he girls in the generation below me are going to have an awesome time, just because when I was their age I didn鈥檛 have any girls to look up to and be at the skatepark with, which I think it pretty crucial in growing the sport from the aspect of more girls doing it,鈥� says Gala.

鈥淪ocial media has a big part to play, it鈥檚 easy nowadays to see other girls around the world skating and then want to get into it 鈥� and it鈥檚 more easily accessible for young girls to get together to skate.鈥�

It鈥檚 the skateboard community and culture that Gala is drawn to, saying it鈥檚 also a big part of progression.

鈥淚t just comes back to community 鈥� I鈥檝e made so many friends through skateboarding, of all ages, it鈥檚 like a family.

鈥淚 might skate with someone who鈥檚 training to be a pilot, someone who鈥檚 off studying law at uni, someone in real estate or a 14-year-old doing massive airs, but everyone is likeminded and having a good time.鈥�

When Gala began competing a few years back, it further ignited her lifelong passion.

鈥淪kateboarding has such a raw and rich culture to it, it鈥檚 so creative, and the community of competitive skateboarders you mix with really does change up how connected you feel to the sport.

鈥淗aving skateboard in the Olympics will lead to more girls feeling comfortable enough to hop on a board, whether it鈥檚 as a mode of transport, or to ride with friends at a skatepark.

鈥淪o yes, skateboarding is definitely in a good place for females.鈥�