There Has Been A Rise As Young Female Skateboarding Thrives

In and around London there’s been an increase in the number of young girls taking to the sport
AKI AKIWUMI  | 

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE), an extracurricular course in the UK usually known for mountain treks and camping, also has the option to choose skateboarding as a sport. Who knew?! DofE stats show that the number of young women and girls deciding to take skateboarding in the past five years has increased by an astounding 800%. 

A 2017 report shows only 37 women and girls aged 14-24 registered skateboarding as their chosen DofE activity, which now stands at 353.
As skateboarding is a male-dominated sport at all levels, it's a historic moment to see a new wave of interest from young women. This is going on to shape the sport's future in a positive and more inclusive way. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (@dofeuk)

 

By the age of 17 to 18, only three in 10 girls would describe themselves as 'sporty' compared with six in 10 boys, according to a study by Women in sport. There are multiple reasons for this, with studies showing it could be down to self-belief and body image concerns. 

So, the positivity around the increase of skateboarding seeing a rise in its young female skaters is obvious, and it's right to cause excitement too. Long may it continue. 

 

Related: skateboarding , Duke of Edinburgh Award , Tilly Osborne , Josie Fairclough .
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