By Melissa Catpo, Staff Writer
Within the past few months, the popularity of skateboarding has soared due to social media, skate park accessibility, and quarantine. Countless people have taken interest in this sport because of recent trends, not to mention it being COVID-19 friendly. With the influence from social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube, many have decided to make skateboarding their new hobby or passion during quarantine. Through these online platforms, professional and amateur skaters post new tricks and skills, as well as their many failed attempts. Some notable skaters on social media are Dylan Jaeb, Clive Dixon, and Tristan Funkhouser, also known as T-Funk. Combined, they have amassed over 537,000 followers on Instagram. Each skater posts their own unique style and form, leaving thousands in admiration of their talent. Due to these viral videos, many teenagers in the Bay Area have been inspired to start their own skateboarding journey.
The skateboarding community in the Bay Area was originally small, but over the last few months, it has grown into a culture for teens. Nowadays, there can be up to 30 people in the skateparks around Millbrae and San Francisco. Although a majority of skaters are males, there are also female skaters who partake in the sport. Unfortunately, they go through backlash and criticism solely for being female. A primary example of this is Asiya, (@asapasiya on TikTok), a skater with over 608,000 followers on her page. Now, she has an immense amount of support but when Asiya first started, she received tons of hate comments. “Poser” was a frequent insult thrown at her, suggesting she isn’t a real skater, but rather someone doing it to impress others. Some users even commented that she shouldn’t skate or is talentless simply because she is a girl. In response, Asiya consistently posts her elaborate tricks and turns, silencing those with negative comments. Additionally, there are people of all different races, cultures, and ages that bond and form friendships over this growing sport. Because of the mainstreaming of skateboarding, cities all over the country have been building or upgrading skate parks to build a pandemic-safe environment for skaters.
The impact of the coronavirus in skateboarding hasn’t had a significantly negative impact, as a matter of fact, quarantine has attracted more people to try it out. Skateboarding is a COVID-19 safe activity as it is done, for the most part, individually, outside, and normally with masks and social distancing. With the pandemic causing everyone to stay at home, participating in low-risk sports, like skateboarding is a much more appealing activity.
Some may skateboard to spend time with friends, while others find skateboarding is a liberating and stress-relieving escape. When discussing why skating is important to him, Mason Myers (10) explained, “I love skateboarding because of the freedom and new experiences. Also, because of the people I’ve met and the memories I’ve created.” Furthermore, Myers added that he has been skating for around 2 years, originally inspired by his brother and friends. Similarly, Leo Valdez-Denton (9) took interest in skateboarding because of his friends and family. He shared, “I’ve been skating for about a year, and I like how fun and exhilarating it is. Because of quarantine, I was able to practice more and get better.” This seems to be a frequent theme, as quarantine has inspired many to try new hobbies or practice more. Finally, Christian Kwan (12) stated, “I enjoy skating since I usually do it with my friends and it allows us to be 6 feet apart, considering we are always moving. Also it is fun trying to learn certain tricks, it almost feels like a game.” These teenage skaters all agree that practice makes perfect and it is important to have perseverance when it comes to skateboarding.
Skateboarding has gained traction incredibly quickly throughout these past few months in quarantine. Some reasons behind this are increased social media coverage, more skate parks being built, and because skating is a COVID-19 safe sport. Even though this sport is time-consuming and daring, the pride of mastering new tricks makes all the falls and attempts worth it.
