Meet the Woman Working to Create More Opportunities for Other Women in Skateboarding

For this episode of Boardly, we skate through the streets of Toronto with Stephanie Battieste, a local skateboarder and entrepreneur who is on a mission to grow the sport and build a viable women’s skateboarding industry in her hometown in Canada.

In 2015, she founded Babes Brigade, which started as a meet-up group for women skaters, and has since evolved into a community-based organization offering skate lessons to young aspiring skateboarders and a competitive skate team—complete with its own apparel and merch. Stephanie also enjoys finding opportunities for women—from photographing skateboarding events to modeling skate gear for brands to covering events for online skate publications—with the hope that more women will ultimately lead lucrative careers within the sport.

Boardly is a video series that spotlights women from all walks of life who share one thing in common: a passion for skateboarding that has shaped who they are in equally different, yet unique ways. Each episode seeks to offer a distinct perspective on the ways women can get involved in the artform. Watch more Boardly.

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[fbspin]

This is awesome. I never knew Toronto had a female skate group, wish I knew about them when I was growing up

[ssue]

I love how y’all are from Toronto me and my friend are hijabis. I’m just starting but she’s pretty good

[TheBratscin]

You have to be good first, before getting sponsors.

[ottawadigs]

I can see how this would be super useful skills in the job market or a civilization crash *sarc*

[corycarlson]

If the skater is good and people want to see them/buy their merchandise then they deserve to be paid, if the photographer is good and people want to see their shots then they deserve to be paid. Just becuase your a female skater or a female photographer means nothing.. and demanding to make money just because your woman... sounds like arrogance. Become so good at what you do that people want to be associated with and and cant say no.

[BoraCM]

I'm confused by this video. How is skateboarding sexist? Also, what is the point of this company? It's not even considered a business if you don't even earn money. What is this purpose? Who cares about equal rights in skating? There are equal rights anyway. I fail to see the purpose of this society. Making a skating group is just like making a cycling group. It's unnecessary, unproductive, and pointless. You could skateboard for fun, but it just doesn't work as a business. The title is wrong. It doesn't matter what you do, you won't be able to create more opportunities in skateboarding, mostly because there aren't any.

[stratdaddy]

Nothing stopping women from skateboarding anyway, smh

[AMVfanboy]

Why are they so bad at skateboarding tho ? xd

[southhour]

There has always been female pro skaters this is nonsense. Just be good on the board skating has always been out skill nothing else. Stop polarising everything have you not seen Letichia or Elissa before all the men like and respect them. Stop he pity party bullshit just be great on damn board. Look at Andrew Reynolds daughter she's coming up right now. Skating has always been an artistic sport you're pushing it if you try to find sexism in the most free thinking life style out there.

[twuandixon]

This is pretty cool but youre lost in your ideology for sure. All this assumption about how "easy" it is for men is hypocritical and straight up ignorant or lying. Look up a single man am gotta risk your life as a man and have developed your skills soooo astronomically to even get vaguely noticed. And thats not money thats just recognition.