We need to talk about skateboarding

Abstract

Skateboarding is a skilful practice, a discipline of failure, and a global culture. Sander Hölsgens studies skateboarding as a tool for social good and reflects on three socio-political interventions by skaters in the Netherlands.

Professional skateboarders Louisa Menke and Candy Jacobs have been advocating for gender equity for decades. Organisations and collectives such as Women Skate the World, Rollende Mina’s and New Wave build skate communities that are welcoming to all. And the Rotterdam-based foundation Skate48 continues to encourage municipalities to keep public spaces skate-friendly.

Let’s talk about some of the other engaged projects skaters in the Netherlands have been up to. In this blogpost I will discuss three initiatives doing their part to care for the spaces we inhabit.