Celebrating International Women’s Day with London’s Skate Community

On Wednesday we hosted our International Women’s Day movie night bringing together skaters (both girls and guys) from across London’s skate communities for an evening of community, conversations, and pushing skate culture forward.

What started as a simple gathering turned into something really special. Skate friends reunited after a long winter, new friendships formed, and the room buzzing with the kind of energy that happens when people who care deeply about the same thing come together.

The evening included a screening of powerful documentaries highlighting women in skateboarding, followed by a panel discussion with female skaters who have played key roles in building and supporting skate communities across London, such as our London Longboard Girls community. They shared their experiences, from the early days of feeling like the minority in a male-dominated sport, to helping create spaces where women and girls feel welcomed, encouraged, and empowered to skate.

Our “Skate Like a Girl” event was also an opportunity to support the work of Skate & Beyond, a non-profit organisation based in Gulu, Uganda, that empowers young people through skateboarding and sport.

Together we watched the Longboard Girls Crew documentary, Beyond Bo(a)rders, and two episodes of the Olympics series Skate-hers, produced for the 2024 Olympics. Each of these documentaries brings a different perspective to the topic of women in skateboarding: how community can help encourage more women to join, the power of social media to inspire new skaters, and showing that you can start skating at any age. The conversations that followed were honest, thoughtful, and inspiring.

We asked our community what were the main themes that stood out, and here’s what they said:

✨ Sisterhood matters

Skateboarding hasn’t always been welcoming to women. For many years, female skaters had to carve out their own space in a sport where they weren’t always seen as equals. Because of that history, community and mutual support mean a lot. When women encourage each other and celebrate each other’s progress, it creates an environment where everyone feels more confident to try, fall, and keep going.

✨ Lead by example

One of the most powerful ways to inspire others is simply by skating. You don’t need to be the best skater in the park to make an impact. Just showing up, enjoying yourself, and being visible on your board can inspire someone else who might be watching and wondering if they belong there too. Representation matters, and you simply being yourself can spark someone else’s journey.

✨ Create what you wish existed

Many of the communities we see today didn’t exist a decade ago. They were started by someone who simply felt that something was missing. If you don’t have a local skate community that resonates with you, there’s nothing stopping you from creating one. Often, there are many others quietly hoping for the exact same space - they just need someone to take the first step. Communities often start small: a few friends meeting up, a group chat, a weekly skate session. From there, they grow.

✨ Non-judgment is the backbone of inclusivity

A welcoming skate community is one where people feel comfortable showing up exactly as they are, whether they’re stepping on a board for the first time or have been skating for years. Skill level, background, identity, and experience shouldn’t determine whether someone feels they belong. Removing judgment creates space for everyone to learn, progress, and enjoy skating in their own way.

✨ Stay open-minded

Communities evolve, and so do the people within them. Something that worked in the past might not always be the best way forward. Being willing to listen, adapt, and grow allows communities to stay welcoming and relevant as new people join and the culture shifts. Keeping an open mind ensures that skate spaces continue to expand and evolve.

Supporting the NGO Skate & Beyond

For our International Women’s Day, it was important for us to not only spotlight women in our local community, but also to contribute to the meaningful work non-profit organisations are doing in other corners of the world.

All proceeds of the evenings went towards supporting the non-profit work of Skate & Beyond, in Uganda. Alongside their regular kids’ and girls’ skate sessions, the organisation actively works to shift gender norms by encouraging more girls to take up skateboarding in the region. Beyond these local sessions, Skate & Beyond organises outreach programs with neighbouring cities to share skateboarding with new communities, and even built the first skatepark in Northern Uganda, creating a space for young people.

Pushing skate culture forward

The night was a reminder of how powerful community can be, and how small changes can compound to big impact. It was an incredible evening of seeing skaters come together to share stories, reflect on how far the community has come in terms of inclusivity, but also acknowledge what we could further improve to keep making space for women in this sport.

Big thanks to Arbor for sponsoring this event, Tom Saint for the photos, Camden Collective for the space, all of our wonderful guest speakers for sharing their experience.