Boarding for girls

By: Kaitlynn Jong

Longboarding culture among women has become overwhelmingly popular on campus and in society. Although it’s always great to see women striving for success in a male-dominated sport, it also makes me curious as to how this trend began. Many people say that celebrities like Kylie Jenner have had a strong influence on the prominence of skater-girl culture, as her blog and Instagram page are filled with pictures of her and her friends on their penny boards. Board sports are more than just a social media accessory; girls who have yet to try any board sports need to get out there and realize just how much fun they can be.

There are a number of athletes to look up to, such as Lacey Baker, who embodies the boarding culture in a positive way. Baker was the winner of the 2014 X-Games, and she is sponsored by companies such as Billabong, Element, and many more. You’ll never catch Baker worrying about how she looks on a skateboard; instead, she goes out and learns tricks to do well in competitions. Another boarding role model is Maëlle Ricker, who became the first snowboarder to win a gold on home soil at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. As a society, we should be encouraging young girls to strive for achievement in these sports. This applies to every board sport, as it is a very male-dominated industry. Girls can find interest in many board sports, such as snowboarding, longboarding, wakeboarding, skateboarding, and surfing.

In a male-dominated sport, there are normally groups full of male members, and this can be intimidating to some women, especially when they’re new to the sport. It can be hard for girls to find other girls to ride with, but luckily there are associations out there that support women and help unite them across the world, such as social movements like Board Betches. Board Betches is run by a student at McMaster University, Madison Calder, and their goal is to unite female boarders and bring together all women riders who love snowboarding, wakeboarding, longboarding, surfing, skateboarding, and more. Board Betches is a great social movement for women who want to meet other female boarders, and not just in one board sport, but all of them.

Longboarding season may be over, but with winter comes snowboarding season. If you’re woman-identified and you love board culture, I suggest you grab a board and hit the hills. There are always organizations like Board Betches to help you get started and meet other board girls.