Kickflips and kicking ass - The wāhine taking over board sports

Wāhine boarders doing a ‘skate train’ where they loop around the pump track one after the other. Source: Canta / Elsie Williams. 

From first timers to seasoned skaters, like-minded wāhine gather together most weeks to redefine the world of board sports, one pump track at a time.

Co-founder of The Indy Project and organiser of the Skatebirds, Georgie Kirkland.  

Source: Canta / Elsie Williams. 

As Sunday afternoons roll around, the Skatebirds spread their wings across different pockets of Ōtautahi and reclaim skate parks as a place for everyone. 

“I think it’s easy in board sports to feel like you don’t belong due to the majority around you practicing the sport being men,” said Georgie Kirkland, founder of Skatebirds.  

“It seems to be that at skateparks people look a certain way and fit a mould. And so it was important to us to create a community that anyone can feel confident in those environments and make them less intimidating.” 

Skatebirds is one component of The Indy Project, a group empowering wahine to shred the streets, surf, and slopes.  

The Indy Project stickers that help spread the word about their initiative. Source: Canta / Elsie Williams. 

It started after a surfing session involving Kirkland and organiser of Snowbirds, Elle Grace-Mary.

“We were like man, we just don't see enough girls out here doing these sports, and we know how good it makes us feel. Surely there's other girls out here that could have this feeling too,” Kirkland said.  

Though they saw so much value in board sports, they couldn’t help but notice that they were the “odd ones out”.  

So, in March last year they decided to do something about it, partnering with the already established surfing group Seabirds and its founder, Brittany Andrews.   

Andrews’ passion for wāhine driven sports was sparked by a Sport New Zealand study, showing that by age 17, young women spend 28% less time being physically active than young men due to the complex interplay of physical, social, and psychological changes during puberty. 

“To me, that is pretty heartbreaking. So that’s why we aim to uplift, support and create an inclusive environment, so women & non-binary people can feel safe and welcomed,” Andrews said. 

The roll-on effect has led to the University of Canterbury starting its own Skatebirds club, run by Rachel Smith. 

“I used to wonder where the other wāhine skaters were and wish that I had people to skate with. The Indy Project made that happen,” Smith said. 

UC Skatebirds was created to build a community of wāhine and non-binary skaters within the university setting, linking into to The Indy Projects’ events, but often on campus.  

“Being a wahine skater can be lonely, I used to wonder where the other wāhine skaters were and wish that I had people to skate with,” Smith said. 

“The Indy Project made that happen in the Christchurch community creating a beautiful, safe, inclusive community where we learn from each other, try new things and build friendships.” 

Smith emphasised the importance of this, as skateboarding spaces are typically male dominated and intimidation can prevent participation.  

“As a current uni student, I saw there was a real need for this type of space within the university setting, so with the encouragement of The Indy Project gals, UC Skatebirds was born.” 

Regular skatebirds attendee shredding the Nigel Mahan pump track in New Brighton.  
Source: Canta / Elsie Williams.  

Skatebird numbers continue to soar each month, with up to thirty attendees each session.  

“We are getting new faces turning up at each event. And even better, having people come back,” Kirkland said. 

Longboard dancer and downhill skateboarding champion Elissa Mah, discovered her talent 14 years ago, after concluding traditional sports weren’t for her. 

“I was that last kid to be picked on the sports team, so I thought I couldn't do anything. Turns out I just hadn't found like the right sport,” Mah said.  

Mah was proud of her newly developed leg muscles, but her relatives in Malaysia said otherwise. 

“The remarks I got was that it was ugly. I'd get scars and bruises from skating, and it was like ‘well you're never going to get a boyfriend if you look like that.’ That's still the kind of attitudes towards women.” 

Downhill skateboarding champion and longboard dancer, Elissa Mah. Source: Supplied.  

The 34-year-old who challenges the ‘good for a girl’ narrative, now helps guide the Skatebirds to new heights. 

“The whole mental barrier with skating is like, are people going to laugh at me if I'm shit. That's something that The Indy Project helps out with, by providing a safe, supportive space, because it is really intimidating,” Mah said. 

The Sunday afternoon crew checking out the pump track for the first time. Source: Canta / Elsie Williams.  

Comfort, empowerment, and community are the three recurring words used to describe The Indy Project, and they’re words that will continue to encompass the group as they keep growing. Sustaining awareness and destigmatising sports traditionally practiced by men is at the top of their to do list. But also, having a bit of fun is the foundational layer of it all. 

Their annual Snow, Skate, Surf Day is coming up on October 12th, when wāhine will touch all areas of Ōtautahi with their boards – and look epic while doing it.