5 Female Owned Skate Brands/Communities
Gxrl power!
There is an abundance of male owned skate brands, communities and organizations out there, quite obviously being because the whole world of skateboarding is predominantly male-owned. We do be seeing a shift though! With the rise of female skateboarders (and gender non-conforming people alike), it is only right that we see a rise of female-owned businesses.
While we totally get that equality means not being treated differently because of your gender, we also love to give praise where it’s due to the increase in female energy within skateboarding. and with that, here’s a list of female-run organizations that you may not have heard of yet.
Skate Parlour
Skate Parlour is the only indoor skatepark based in Leicester, run by the founders of Mama Skate CIC, Lily and Yusra. Their aim is to create a diverse, safe space for minorities and marginalized communities while connecting people through their love of skateboarding.
They say: “With the work of Mama Skate, we hope to become a hub of skateboarding, art, culture, and social causes, which often goes hand in hand with the sport.”
Doyenne Skateboards
Born out of Glasgow, in Scotland’s Western Lowlands, Doyenne Skateboards focuses on maintaining an ethical and sustainable way of life. Their brand encompasses unisex ideals for their clothing and skatewear. Doyenne began spontaneously as skate sessions in Glasgow which then lead onto the launch of their first small collection and recycled boards to raise money which they donated to Skateistan. =
“We got inspired by their work in making skateboarding accessible and we wanted to create a similar environment locally as we believe everyone should have the same opportunities by adopting a ‘think global, act local’ approach.”
Girl Skate UK
Starting in 2014 as a blog that shared footage of female skaters, Girl Skate UK bloomed into the community of 40k+ participants across socials. In that time they’ve helped set up over 50 UK-based community skate groups, coached hundreds of skaters and organized countless events, competitions and girls nights.
“From the very beginning, we have been wholeheartedly committed to encouraging the growth of the girls scene, and have always used profits made from our shop to continue to establish more girls nights and events in order to raise the profile of female skateboarding here in the UK.”
The Skate Retreat
The little sister company of Girl Skate UK, The Skate Retreat, runs lessons, workshops and retreats for over 18s. They aim to build “safe spaces for women, trans and gender non conforming skaters and their allies”. The Skate Retreat, started up by Danielle Gallacher and Zeta Rush, features yoga sessions, vegan food and glamping as well as halfpipes and bowls built in the heart of England’s Peak District. They aim to give beginner, intermediate and advanced skaters a chance to progress in one of the most scenic ways possible.
Brum Girl Skate
Based in Brum as the name suggests, the Brum Girl Skate community thrives with monthly girls nights and events such as summer skate jams and skate trips. Started as a WhatsApp group by Alice Smith (@_palice), the community quickly grew and got support from brands such as Redbull to back up their events. Future plans for BGS include more skate trips and summer events.
For more skate-related content check out DOSE SKATEBOARDING.
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