She Skates
A series of interviews, and photographic study conducted by Lanna Apisukh
This photo series features five female skateboarders that I’ve grown to know over the past few years through skating the parks in New York City. As a female skateboarder and proponent of women’s rights movements, I felt compelled to share these stories of courage, athleticism, the female spirit and what it means to skate gathered from their point of view. Whether these ladies know it or not, they are an inspiration to our generation of young girls and women – and not just by showing them they can kick flip down a set of stairs or grind a ledge – but by underscoring the idea that females can do anything.
Yasmeen Wilkerson
Lanna Apisukh: How long have you been skateboarding?
Yasmeen Wilkerson: I started longboarding first at the age of 16. From there I’ve been in and out of skating and officially started skating street 3 years ago, summer ‘15.
LA: What was it that drew you into skating?
YW: I started dating a guy who at the time, was into longboarding. As the relationship came and went, my passion for skateboarding is what stayed. The adrenaline rush is what made me stay, there’s nothing like that feeling.
LA: Fill in the blank… Skateboarding makes me feel:
YW: AT HOME WHEREVER I GO
LA: How has skateboarding impacted your life?
YW: Through the people I’ve met, the things I’ve learned along the way, and the new places I’ve travelled to, skateboarding has impacted my life in more ways than one! I’ve been in the community consistently for the past 3 years, along with having a rising in popularity on Instagram. My modeling and commercial/ad work has gotten a rise in popularity in the past few years especially my skate video edits on YouTube. Skateboarding has proved that I can be myself, and do what I love while making money off of it and being productive and a good reflection of a poc (person of color) making waves where stereotypes state otherwise on Brooklyn girls growing up from nothing. My rise in productivity with skateboarding, as well as my positive mindset I’ve gained from it has made me want to do better to become even more of an inspiration to everyone.
LA: Any cool skate-related projects on the horizon?
YW: Yes!! The cats out the bag!! I’ll be going to the Middle East to be a mentor to kids in Palestine! I was excited to finally announce that I’d be working with SkatePal (@skate_pal) (skatepal.co.uk) in June, I would be going to Palestine in September for a few weeks to be teaching kids to skate and helping with educational workshops for the youth. It’s a project that I’ve had on my mind and although I’ve had doubts and several thoughts about the environment and the political unrest that goes on over there, but with careful thought and insight on the country, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m going to commit to what my heart tells me. I’ve worked with children in the past through East Village Skateshop, Riverside skatepark association, and through volunteer days through other organizations, I’ve realized that there’s nothing more fulfilling to me then working with children. I’ve already spread the word within the community that I’m making a fundraiser on justgiving.com/yazsomean to help costs of the trip that isn’t covered by SkatePal. As of now I’ve recieve 30% of donations from my goal of $850! A fundraiser event at the start of August might be under way if I can’t develop the sufficient amount of funds. Either way, I’m confident that I’ll be able to come up with my goal before September hits! My only wish is to keep blessing any space I go to with positivity, love, and knowledge, the world needs more of that.I would love to be apart of spreading that to corners of the world, and having people who support me would help.
LA: What advice can you give to other females or female-identified individuals who want to learn to skate but might be nervous to try for fear of injuries or the male-dominated skate parks (that can sometimes be intimidating for beginners)?
YW: A word of advice? Definitely to know that you’re not any more or less worthy from any other skater at the skatepark. It’s not about how technical you are on a flat bar, or how many stairs you can ollie on, it’s about having fun. Sometimes, even I, get caught up in comparing myself and my skills to everyone else. And it isn’t about that. Comparing yourself only makes it “acceptable” to point and pick at your flaws and what you can’t do. Instead think about what you can do and get better at that! Work on that! Fight through doubt and believe in yourself it does more good than anything. When skateboarding in male dominated parks, remember that skateboarding is about exploring your environment and claiming spaces. This space is just as much here for everyone else as it is for you. So just have fun and enjoy your time there. Tell anyone who thinks otherwise to “fuck off” and keep a smile.
Erin Yamagata
Lanna Apisukh: How long have you been skateboarding and what was it that first drew you in?
Erin Yamagata: I’ve been skating since I was about 8 years old. I got into it because my brother started skating and I wanted to do everything he was doing. My dad used to build us ramps, so all the neighborhood kids would be at our house skating all day. When I got to high school I completely stopped then got back into it 2 years ago just for something fun to do.
LA: Fill in the blank… Skateboarding makes me feel:
EY: Young and wild and free lol
LA: How has skateboarding impacted your life personally and/or professionally?
EY: Skateboarding has exposed me to a very specific youth culture. I think it made me a more unique and independent person and taught me not to conform to the typical society.
LA: What trick or skill do you want to learn next?
EY: I’m really trying to get that wall ride down at Fatkid [skatepark].
LA: What advice can you give to young women who want to learn to skate? Is it possible to learn it later in life?
EY: I would say to just go for it and don’t let anything intimidate you or be afraid to fall or get hurt. I think it is possible to learn later in life, but would be much harder. Skating is a pretty difficult and physical sport so the older you get and the more life responsibilities you have, the higher the consequences become if you get injured. That fear factor really starts coming into play.
LA: Ten years from now, do you think you’ll still be skateboarding?
EY: I’ll probably still be rolling around. Maybe not roaming around all day at different skateparks, but it may also depend on how hard my midlife crisis hits haha.
Christie Dejesu
Lanna Apisukh: How did you get into skateboarding and how long have you been doing it for?
Christie Dejesu: I got into it right after high school when I was 18. I’m 26 now. It’s been 8 years. I met a bunch of cool guys at the park that offered to teach me how and were really inspiring people.
LA: Fill in the blank… Skateboarding makes me feel:
CD: High on life.
LA: How has skateboarding impacted your life? (e.g. personally and/or professionally)
CD: It’s a way for me to relieve stress in my life. I like the freedom of skateboarding and the ability to skate where ever I want to. It's always fun to conquer all your fears and keep trying to progress.
LA: How do you cope with injuries? Do you think being a personal trainer helps your skateboarding?
CD: Yes, I’ve taken classes in injury rehabilitation and it helps a lot knowing how to prevent injuries and heal them on your own.
LA: What sort of attitudes do you think male skaters have towards the female skateboarders these days? Is the community more welcoming in some places more than others?
CD: For the most part yes, they encourage other females and want to see their progress. Only a few immature ones who will laugh at girls for trying and think they are better.
LA: What advice can you give to other females that want to learn to skate?
CD: Just do it and don’t worry about what other guys think!
Chris Culma
Lanna Apisukh: How long have you been skateboarding and what drew you into it?
Chris Culma: I’ve been skating for around 13 years now. I got tired of watching all my guy friends skate on our block and decided to go for it.
LA: Fill in the blank… Skateboarding makes me feel:
CC: Free from the obligations of life.
LA: What’s it like to have a twin sister to skate with?
CC: I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. It’s really something to share what you love with your best friend/twin.
LA: Is there ever any friendly competition between the two of you?
CC: Here and there but it’s always chill and fun. We have pushed each other to go for new things.
LA: How has skateboarding impacted your life? (e.g. personally and/or professionally)
CC: It has shaped my life by allowing me to be creative and confident in myself. I’ve met a lot of cool people through skateboarding that I may have never crossed paths with if I never picked up a board.
LA: How do you balance your professional work life with skateboarding?
CC: Sometimes it feels like I live a double life. I’ll get dressed in the morning with my torn-up shoes and ollie some sewer caps on the way to the office. Then I’ll change to work appropriate clothes and go into HR mode. I’m lucky everyone is really supportive at my job when they find out I skateboard.
LA: What skills or tricks do you want to master next?
CC: I would like to get my kickflips on point and then go for varial flips. I also want to skate more bowls and street spots.
LA: Do you have any tips or advice you can share with other females that want to learn how to skate?
CC: Don’t compare yourself to anyone or let anyone put you down. There’s always a what’s next? with skateboarding, and that is the beauty of it.
Niki Culma
Lanna Apisukh: How long have you been skateboarding and what drew you into it?
Niki Culma: I’ve been skateboarding for about 13 years. When I was about 14, all my friends started skating and I thought it looked really cool and exciting so I decided to get my own board.
LA: Fill in the blank… Skateboarding makes me feel:
NC: Alive and free.
LA: Transitions (skate parks) or street skateboarding – what’s your favorite?
NC: I love both but I started with street skating because there were no parks to learn transition at, but later on there were a lot of places to skate transition and it’s becoming my favorite.
LA: What’s it like to have a twin sister to skate with? Is there ever any friendly competition between the two of you or is it more of a supportive relationship?
NC: I think it’s awesome, it’s always nice having someone to skate and bond with, but I think it makes it even more special when it’s your best friend/twin. We are very supportive of each other and like to push each other to try new things and we give each other trick tips. We still play SKATE together so we have some have friendly competition lol
LA: How has skateboarding impacted your life?
NC: Skateboarding has given me an identity and introduced me to a community of people who share the same love and passion for it. I have so many great friends because of it like @late.skate (on Instagram). It also makes me feel young and active even as I’m approaching my next phase of life and getting older.
LA: Tell us a little more about Late Skate! What’s it all about?
NC: Late Skate is my [all-girl] crew, we all share a love for skateboarding and like having a good time when we’re together. It all started around the beginning of summer last year and since then we’ve had a lot of new friends join our group, sometimes when we all get together it could be like 10+ people. We have our own Instagram page where we share our videos and photos (@late.skate). We really enjoy motivating and encouraging each other to skate and we’re open to others who want to hang out or skate with us! It’s definitely a more comforting feeling when you’re at a park or spot with a group of people so I think it helps having a crew to share that with :)
LA: How do you balance your professional work life with skateboarding?
NC: It’s not always easy explaining to your boss that you can’t stay overtime or go into work on a weekend cause you brought your board to work or plan to meet up with friends to skate haha but I find that I can balance it by skating as much as possible whenever I can. I do wish that I had more time to skate though.
LA: What skills or tricks do you want to learn next?
NC: I would love to learn how to tre flip, I’m super close so I just need to practice more. I’d also love to learn how to land fs or bs airs on transition and a back disaster.
LA: Any advice you can share with other females that want to learn how to skate?
NC: My advice is that everyone starts from the same place in skateboarding and learns at their own pace so that’s something to carry with you as you meet new people and learn new tricks, don’t forget to HAVE FUN and KEEP PUSHING!!