Skate Forward: Inclusivity in Skateboarding

Raleigh, NC -- ABC Owned Stations and Localish are proud to be part of Fifty/50, ESPN's monumental initiative, in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company, highlighting the civil rights journey of women across the sports and cultural landscape, and commemorates the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX. This story was originally published in July 2021.

Skateboarding has changed drastically since its early days as a southern Californian sub-culture. Culminating in its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 games, this once male-dominated sport continues to evolve. Raleigh's newest skateboarding group, Skate Forward, is at the forefront of that evolution, promoting inclusivity in the central NC skate community.

"Since we've kind of got the word out there, there's been way more girls out here", says early group member Bruklyn Miller. She explains that their goal has been to create a safe space for people who have historically been excluded from the sport: women, lgbtq+, and people of color.

"Skate Forward fills the void in the lack of female representation in the skating community", fellow member Oliva Wolf tells us. But this group goes beyond recreational meetups--with fundraising efforts that have allowed them to donate funds and clothes to The Women's Center of Raleigh. As Olivia points out, "We are definitely more than just a skate group".