Celina was 19 years old the first time she met another female skateboarder. She'd been skating for nearly a decade, but when it came to women she knew, she was always the only one who "actually" skated.
Thankfully, things have changed a lot since then.
"It's nice that there are other females at a skate park now," Celina told In The Know. "It's not just a dude party now."
Even with some progress, skating still is somewhat of a "dude party." More than 77 percent of all skateboarders are male, according to the Public Skatepark Development Guide.
But skaters like Celina are looking to change that. In this week's episode of In The Know: Uncommon Ground, we explore the big — and growing — meet-up group for female skaters in Philadelphia, where many women have found community, friendship and a place to grow their talents.
"It can be intimidating to start skateboarding if you don't know people, if you're a woman or if you feel just out of place in general — if you're a trans person, a queer person or anything that's not part of the normal stereotype of skaters," Melanie, another group member, told In The Know. "So having a supportive group of people ... it means a lot."
The group strives to make everyone feel welcome — and it creates an environment that removes the pressure women might face in less representative, male-dominated spaces.
"Having that community that I could feel a part of just made the difference," Brianna, another meet-up member, told In The Know. "There's a little bit of diversity in the group, and seeing people like me is important to my skating."
Watch the full episode of In The Know: Uncommon Ground above.
