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Born to shred

"Skateboarding is escapism." 



By Elizabeth Freeman, Kristen Luna and Maximo Vazquez

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Finding freedom in skateboarding

Patty Fung, 33, Jai Ledesma, 23, and Staycee Lee, 35, are members of the nonprofit, Skate Like A Girl. Starting at a young age, each member reflects on their experiences of finding a place within the skateboarding community and the freedom they found along the ride. 

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Skateboarding Culture
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Participants in skateboarding 

Between 2006 and 2011, there was a significant drop in the number of participants in skateboarding. There was a substantial boost the following year, but the culture has steadily remained in the lower-end of 6 million participants ever since. Regardless of the decrease in participants, a growing number of skateboarding groups are creating inclusive environments for all who desire to skate. 

Injuries in Skateboarding

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The Boards

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Staycee's Board
"Anti Hero deck, Ace trucks, Bones wheels 56mm, Bones Reds bearings. I usually like yellow boards but ride whatever is given to me."
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Patty's Board
"This is a board that my husband helped put together because he's all into specs, so this is all set up for curb skating. It's got rails on it for board slides and rail slides. I'm rocking Thunder trucks right now which I really enjoy."
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Jai's Board
"I ride Anti Hero for the most part, Independent or Ace trucks, spitfire wheels. I always decorate my grip tape with pictures, use clear or colorful grips, and draw my own art."
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Portrait of a Skater

Jai Ledesma 

Age: 23

From Richmond, Calif.

Photo taken by Maximo Vazquez

In Oakland, Calif in April, 2021. 

Skateboard Market Value has been steadily increasing since 2018. According to statista.com, it is projected to continue to increase until 2025. This increase is due to the exposure and viral nature of skateboarding that exists on social media and the internet. Sites such as Trasher and Youtube are two main components of this. The emergence of queer and femme skate groups has added to the popularity of skateboarding, as well as created more spaces of inclusivity in the scene.