Gallery, video: Young women learn to skate to break barriers this Women’s month

Skateboarding has always been seen as the preserve of boys, teenagers and young men, but now a group of women is saying “Hey girls can skate to !”

More than 30 young women were given the chance yesterday to learn how to skate at Tighy Park in Westdene in Johannesburg. The opportunity was presented by Girls Can Skate South Africa. It tied in with Women’s month, with the aim of breaking barriers that society erects by the belief that women cannot do men’s sport.

Many of the young women said skateboarding helped them come out of their shells and gave them the courage to make new friends and grow in their strength as women. Ntokozo Mono said skating helped her fit into a crowd where she was not judged for who she is.

She said she started skating last year March and was now able to do more tricks than before.“My skills with the skateboard are not really perfect but with consistency, I am able to learn and grow these skills. Some of the tricks I can do are an Ollie, Bonus and a 180-degree turn,” Mono said.

She explained she has had to constantly remind herself to not be afraid of failing because skat-ing came with a tax and falling was that tax. Girls Can Skate is a community organisation founded in 2015 to encourage more females in South Africa to skate.

Founder of Girls Can Skate Sharne Jacobs said the organisation was formed to create a platform to encourage females to see opportunities and ways to express themselves, without feeling boxed in by norms and expectations. She said the oganisation would like to continue to create a safe space for girls to practice.

“We are excited to be allowed back at the skate parks doing what we enjoy doing. We provide skate-boards which have been donated to us and transport to the skate park for the girls who show interest in our events. “Recently Reebok has partnered with us and will be assisting by donating sneakers to girls who want to skate.

“We hope to have our own skate park in the future,” Jacobs said. Girls who want to get involved can visit the Girls Can Skate Instagram page using the @girlsskate_ southafrica handle.

This was in light of Women’s month, breaking barriers in which society believed that a woman cannot do a man’s sport.

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