Women's Pool: Girls Skateboard

Creative director of Wonderzine Sonia Batovrina lived all my life in Amsterdam and New York. Having moved to Moscow, she was surprised by the huge number of skater girls on the streets, which she did not see in big cities with a developed street culture: "They don't just want to hang out with skater guys, they have a passion for skateboarding, and they want to fly like wind". We collected six girls from beginners to pro, took pictures of them in their natural environment and asked about what it means to ride.

LOVE KLIMOVA

I started skating at 15, when I had graffiti and skaters among my friends, but soon I quit skating often because I bought a bicycle. Now I ride mostly on the "fish", which gave my boyfriend. I just drive through the streets with a player when I need to get somewhere quickly, or use it to shoot my videos instead of rail and steadicam. I didn’t meet any stereotypes about girls on skates among friends. It seems that professional skateboarding, including women's, is at a high level today.

Stereotypes about girls on skates among friends I have not met

Katya Shengelia

At first I was riding a snowboard, and some guys said that you need to ride a skateboard if you want to progress on a snowboard. At some point, I realized that skateboarding gives me more positive emotions. I just trained, participated in contests, filmed a video, and they noticed me. I went to the professional level and received sponsorship. It helps me maintain the level and go to contests abroad. I do not need clothes or sneakers, I always have everything at hand, it gives me some lightness: you will not learn the old new things.

With skateboarding in Russia is difficult. The youth was fascinated and engaged in it for a long time, and those people who could help in the development of skateboarding - and this older generation - consider it something dirty and punk. Although in America and Europe it is a serious extreme sport, and there people come to contests to watch strong and beautiful athletes, action games. Skateboarding, in my opinion, is the most beautiful sport, nothing more technical can be found. It is necessary for the state to understand this and stereotypes change. What progress can there be now, if there is no indoor skate park in the capital, in the center of Russia?

Skateboarding is my whole life, if today I don’t ride, go hang out with my skateboarder friends. Gender is not important. Is skateboarding a sport who has been banned from playing sports? Just stay girlfriend. There are girls who quench the railing, jump on the stairs, and it looks beautiful and elegant. The kid won't do that.

Skateboarding is the most beautiful sport, nothing more technical can be found

Liza

I study at school and in MPGU on an academic vocal. I wanted to ride a skateboard at the age of 12, then I bought a board. But I felt sorry for her, so I pulled for three years. This summer began, and I like, I do not want to throw. I ride only three weeks, over the past three days I learned to ride the ramp. I find it difficult to master the tricks myself, so I need a person who inspires and instructs me. I love to skate at the Sparrow Hills and here I found some skateboard friends - Nicholas, Lesha, Rum, sometimes I go to Gorky Park. I get up at 10, go to the park and spend here all day until night. I want to ride professionally. My parents don't mind skateboarding.

I find it difficult to master tricks on my own, so I need a person who inspires and instructs me

Vika Safronova

I started skating at school, after the 9th grade, because everyday life was boring, I didn't want to walk the streets aimlessly. The guys from the parallel were doing skateboarding, and I decided to ride with them. I went to the professional level by training, participating in contests. Now this opportunity is quite rare, since the boys have become very technical and it is difficult to compete with them. Thanks to the professional level, Nikita brand sponsors me, so I always have things, and before that I bought them myself, and Acne Kotov from Vans gives me sneakers.

When I started to ride, I came across a special attitude to girls skateboarders, but now they are becoming more and more.

Of course, you can count on the fingers of one hand, but there are quite a few girls on the boards on the streets, on longboards and "fish"

It seems that the interest in skateboarding in Russia is in waves. At first, stagnation reigns and nothing happens, and then bam - one hundred contests are held, parks are built all over Moscow. By the way, my favorite park so far is in Novoperedelkino, I spend all year there. In addition to skateboarding, I snowboard, this winter was my second season. In the future I want to go to the snowboard, because skating for up to 30 years is a bit strange, and you can go to the mountains at least 50. In everyday life, I work in a hotel as a senior administrator and write news to the website of Freestyle.Dist.

Marfa Ilinishna

I started to skate about eight years ago: I had a local spot in front of my house, I looked, looked and decided that I could try too. My friends from school already skated, suggested that I go with them and see how this is done, and I agreed. Bought the cheapest and stupid board and start. Now I ride mostly on the "fish", on the streets or in a skate park on Krasnaya Presnya, I like it. I study as a graphic designer and occasionally DJ, in general, I do a bit of everything. I would not say that skateboarding is a woman's business, considering the fractures and bruises that you get from skating. But if you like it, why not?

I would not say that skateboarding is a woman's business, considering fractures and bruises

Ksenia Azimova

I started skating about six months ago: a friend was rolling, and I also wanted to, we went to the skateshop together and chose a board. I often go to work on a board, or if I’m too lazy to go to the store, or somewhere far away, I do it for my own pleasure and don’t think about professional skateboarding. At the moment I am working as an assistant photo director at Strelka. Still typing zine with my photos. It may seem abstruse, but most of all I love classical piano music and Daniel Johnston.

Often I go to the board for work or if I am too lazy to go to the store, or somewhere far away

Editorial staff thanks stores Faun.ru and Kixboxas well as brands Harm's, NIKE SPORTSWEAR and nnH for the provision of clothing for shooting