In case anybody missed the memo, skateboarding isn’t just for the boys.

Skateboarding isn’t just a hobby or sport either. For many in the community, skating is an escape, a space to clear the head and feel better about life. But most of all, it’s whanaungatanga. 

Wozer Skate Mag is a new all-inclusive skateboarding magazine that focuses on broadcasting and creating safe spaces by and for women, non-binary, trans and queer individuals. 

Becki Moss and Camden Jackson went along to the launch of the magazine’s first edition at Fusion on Wellington’s Cuba St and found out what skateboarding meant to the people there.

Tessa Hills (she/they) 

Tessa is a co-founder of Surely Skate in Gisborne. 

Why is skateboarding important to you?

I've been thinking back lately and it's just cool to be the person that I would have wanted [to look up to] when I was younger. Like if I had someone to look up to like me, I would’ve loved that. And knowing that I can be that for other girls is really rewarding.

Skating just relates to your life in so many ways. We always talk about how it's a mental game, connecting with your body. And it's so true. 

Skating is an escape and there are no rules. 

It's not like you have to chill out to practice, you just do it in your own time and you work at your own pace, and everyone's there to support you. It's just turning into such a great community to be a part of. Everyone's just really cool and accepting. 

Raquel Meihana (they/them)

Raquel is part of the friend group behind Wozer.

Tell me a bit about your skateboarding community. 

It’s whanaungatanga. It's more than, like, skating. I love how we all have these beautiful group chats where you can say anything and you're just held and supported. 

And as much as it's the physical aspect of skateboarding, it's also being able to kick it with each other outside of all of that. That's kind of what the beauty of our skating community is. It's a family. 

Ruohan Zhao (she/her)

Ruohan is a part of the friend group behind Wozer and grew up skating in China.

What has skating allowed you to express about yourself? 

Well, it's just like going to the gym, you know? If I don't feel good, I'll go for a skate and then I’ll feel good. I get that serotonin in my head. And it’s fitness, you know, keep fit! 

Fi Schultz

Fi is a skateboarder from Ōtepoti, Dunedin.

Tell me a bit about your skateboarding community.

The skateboarding community in Dunedin is pretty good. It changes a lot because students come in and people graduate and then leave. There's a bit of a local crowd, but it's very slowly diminishing and the state parks are kind of terrible. They're very old.

Why is skating important to you?

I've got Hannah (Prout) to be my skater girl-friend. But just, it’s social! Meeting all the people and not being intimidated by the boys anymore and not being judged for being a girl on a skateboard. And otherwise, emotional release. Yeah, whenever you're stressed or angry or hate someone, just go for a skate, it makws it all better.

Why do you think people should skate?

More girls should skate. Because where I'm from there's only a few of us and it's very unbalanced. I used to not go to the town skate park because it would just be boys. I would feel judged but when Hannah (Prout) started going, she motivated me to go and being there together made it better.

Taniah Meyers

Taniah is an Olympic skateboarder from Queensland, Australia.

Tell us a bit about your skateboarding community.

I'm from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and the skate community is pretty small. Just a lot of groms coming up. I don't mind it though, it keeps you on your toes.

Why is skateboarding important to you?

I just love how inclusive it is. In all the places you go to it doesn't matter where you are, you can kind of meet a skater and they’re like your mate straight away, which I think is really cool. Like, you don't find that in a lot of other sports.

Poppy Starr

Poppy is an Australian Olympic skateboarder and world champion.

Tell us a bit about your skateboarding community.

I live in Newcastle in Australia. And I skate basically with my one friend Marley. And he's a boy. And that's about it. There isn't really a girls’ community or queer community. So just being here for the past four days has been the best ever.

Why is skateboarding important to you?

Skateboarding is really important to me; I've based my whole life around skateboarding. It’s also the people I've met, and the countries I've got to travel to … It's such a cool community, and it's so inclusive. You can be whoever you want to be. 

Mel Warner (she/her)

Founder of Skate Ed, a skate school based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington.

Tell us about your skate community.

I help to teach kids how to skate. They actually end up coming to the skate park and hanging out with me sometimes. It’s quite cute. And just a whole bunch of women and non-binary people. 

It’s so awesome because it used to just be me and my boyfriend. I used to wait in the car until there was nobody there.

Why is skateboarding important to you? 

I get very self-conscious and I guess, like a lot of people, I need to see that there is a place for me to feel like I belong. 

Fear gets in the way of my life a lot. So with skateboarding, I can go out there and not really think about what's going to happen. Or I’ll just think about what could happen in a positive way.

Gus (he/him) & Vanessa (she/her) Curwood 

Fusion Skate owners and hosts of the Wozer Skate Mag release.

Gus: Since I was 10 years old, skateboarding has been a whole lot of my life. I’ve worked in the skate industry and shops since day dot and am lucky enough to finally have our own shop with a supportive wife. 

All we want to do is this [facilitating events like the Wozer mag release]; this is fun to us. 

Skateboarding is why we do this, it's not to make a million dollars or anything.

The growth and progression I've seen in skateboarding in the last 30 years has been next level. I feel really privileged to have seen it evolve and be more inclusive from where it's been, to where it is now with the LGBTQ community, girls, and younger kids getting involved.

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