University of Sydney researcher explores how to make skateboarding more inclusive

Ahead of the upcoming Paris Olympic Games for which five Australian women have been selected in the skateboarding team, University of Sydney sociologist and avid skateboarder Dr Indigo Willing’s new research has been spotlighted.

Dr Willing’s research aims to “flip the script” on sporting stereotypes as she explores how to make skateboarding more inclusive for girls, women, and gender diverse skaters.

Among the Australian women selected in the skateboarding team for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, are record-breaking Arisa Trew and gold-medal qualifier Chloe Covell. It’s only the second time skateboarding has been included in the Olympics after debuting at the Tokyo Games in 2021, proving the sport’s continuing rise in popularity and its accessibility to wider audiences, in Australia and globally.

Dr Willing notes “Skateboarding has gone from being a youth and subculture activity to now being included in the Olympic Games, and we will see Australians on the podium this year. The girls are outstanding and have been breaking records.”

A female skateboarder and co-founder of award-winning skate projects, Dr Willing only started skateboarding when she was 41, after finishing her PhD. At the University of Sydney, she co-leads a team of female researchers investigating how to make skating culture more inclusive for people typically excluded due to gender or sexuality.

Dr Willing adds “Integrating women’s skating and skateboarders into the public conversation, like the Olympics is doing, is important. Being a skateboarder, I am closely connected to the skating community. Lots of young girls and marginalised people are attracted to skateboarding due to its creativity, permission to take risks and lack of set rules or fees, things that may create barriers in other sports.”

Emphasising the need for a supportive community where all types of skaters can co-exist is a crucial element of Dr Willing’s research.

“My work at the University of Sydney has women at the forefront of research on social inclusion and skateboarding. My team and I are currently working on a series of interviews with people usually at the margins at skateparks, giving them a voice on where skateboarding should and could be headed.”

A bridge between cultures
Skating has traditionally been dominated by a hyper masculine culture. It can be intimidating, sexist, and come with issues of harassment and violence, as in other subcultures and in some sport more generally. But Dr Willing’s new interdisciplinary research involving artists and designers Dr Sanné Mestrom and Associate Professor Lian Loke demonstrates skating can be a creative space for play and connection.  

“Skateboarding can act as a bridge between different communities and cultures,” Dr Willing continued. “It can be a vibrant hub of diversity where stereotypes, stigmas and attitudes are challenged. By including girls, women and gender diverse skaters in the skating scene, young people can learn different perspectives and have a wider network of role models. It also opens the door to development opportunities for those who want to be serious about professional skateboarding.”  

Providing opportunities for young girls like Arisa and Chloe to excel in sport, both on the global stage and at home in Australia, is paramount. For Dr Willing, opportunity and inclusivity have shaped her story.  

“My first home was an orphanage in Vietnam during the war,” she said. “I was later flown from Saigon to Sydney by the non-profit World Vision with other Vietnamese children. The very first time I met my new, adoptive family was at Sydney airport. I owe my life to the power of opportunities, and I want to pay it forward.”  

Australia is fast becoming one of the world’s skating powerhouses, but is still building up the infrastructure, policies, and environments where all non-traditional skaters can start skating and flourish. While current community initiatives are making progress, Dr Willing believes we still have a long way to go.

“We need to ensure girls, women and whoever wants to skate have pathways, and are never held back by things like harassment, discrimination and violence.”  

Dr Indigo Willing is a Visiting Fellow in the Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre (SSSHARC) at the University of Sydney. You can explore more of Dr Willing’s research on her Wordpress website.

Image top: Dr Indigo Willing. Credit: Stefanie Zingsheim; Image below: Dr Indigo Willing on Sanne Maestrom sculpture credit Stefanie Zingsheim