With features from Bristol Girls Longboarding to our Ultimate Girl Guide to Skateboarding, we have been documenting the ongoing rise of Women in Skateboarding as it unfolds. Inspired by the present-day greats, we are witnessing more girls on boards than ever before. Read here for insights on some of the Best Women in Skateboarding, from Community Pioneers to Young Olympians.
Danni Gallacher
Danni is the creator of The Skate Retreat as well as Girl Skate UK. Danni first encountered Skating in 2001 when she was 14 or 15.
Danni Gallacher launched her website in 2014, aiming to provide a convenient hub listing the various girl jams and competitions happening in the UK. Danni states, 'I have always aimed to ensure that Girl Skate UK is, above all, inclusive. Regardless of who or what they may identify as, they have always been welcome at Girl Skate UK.' The female skate scene seemingly expanded by thousands overnight when Danni launched Girl Skate UK in 2014, as the scene was finally given a voice. In the early days, she had several people writing for the website and contributing to Instagram, including Charlotte Thomas, Natasher Beecher, Jenna Selby, and Lucy Adams.
Girl Skate UK was selected as one of Europe’s leading community platforms, and a film crew was sent from the United States to create a short film about Girl Skate UK. Following its international recognition and success, Girl Skate UK was invited to participate in Schuh’s International Women’s Day: Inspiring Women project. The campaign was featured across Schuh storefronts in the UK.
Danni aspired to create a welcoming and unique space where you can feel entirely free and comfortable to learn new skills, regardless of your ability. It's important to her that the location is calm and beautiful, providing the best learning environments because when you are relaxed, you are more open to trying new things.
Lola Tambling
14-year-old Lola Tambling secured first place in last year's park national championships organized by Skateboard GB at XC Hemel Hempstead, and this year she achieved sixth place with 81.53 points at the World Championships in Sharjah.
Lola began skateboarding at the age of 7, saying, "I first wanted to start skating when my parents organized a skate jam at our local park called 'Junkyard'. I saw everyone skating and thought, 'I want to do that so badly'. It looked so much fun."
Tambling’s skills have earned her sponsorships from well-respected brands such as Vans and Volcom. The Cornwall-born skater is one of just four female members on the current GB team and is aiming to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Sky Brown
14-year-old Sky Brown became Great Britain’s youngest ever Olympic medallist last year when she won bronze at the summer 2021 Olympics. At age 13, while training in May 2020, Sky fell from a ramp and fractured her skull, broke her left arm and wrist, and suffered lacerations to her heart and lungs. She was fortunate to survive, but throughout her recovery, she remained positive and was eager to skate again. Sky stated, "I think the message is you can fall but you can also get up. Bad things can happen, but good things usually follow them, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.”
Sky Brown began skateboarding and surfing at the age of three. Her preschool had a skatepark, and her father built a backyard mini ramp where he skated daily.
Brown first gained viral attention at age four when Stu posted a video of her on Facebook. She spent hours watching and replicating clips from YouTube. This year, Sky has already won gold in park skateboarding at the World Championships in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday with a top score of 90.83 from her three runs.
Lucy Adams
Lucy’s presence in the UK skateboarding scene for over 20 years as one of the most high-profile female skateboarders has been an inspiration to generations. Lucy has won the UK Skateboard Champs and Girls UK Skate Jam numerous times with her renowned skills. Through her efforts to transform the landscape of British skateboarding, her reputation is well-deserved. As companies began to take an interest and give female skaters more exposure in the early 2000s, Lucy was a prominent female skater in the UK scene and advocated for female representation within the skate scene.
Lucy's efforts to make skateboarding more accessible for girls include establishing the Brighton-based She-Shredders coaching sessions and leading mass participation and inclusion events such as 'Push The Prom'. Most recently, Lucy was appointed Chair of Skateboard England and as an ambassador for IWG Women and Sport. Additionally, Skateboard GB announced that they appointed Lucy Adams as Progression Project Lead. Continually acting as a guiding force to improve grassroots skateboarding through various projects, Lucy’s mark of progression resonates with generations of skaters of minority genders.
Amber Edmondson
Amber is a co-founder ofWomen Skate the Worldwith Nanja Van Rijsse in the Netherlands, after meeting earlier this year while volunteering for SkatePal in Palestine. After only skating as a child, last year Amber attended a girls’ night in Manchester with a friend, marking her return to a board for the first time in 14 years. Since its inception, Women Skate the World has been on a mission to promote inclusive skateboarding by encouraging female volunteers and promoting women to skate. After leaving her mark on the world of International Women's Skateboarding, Amber now works at Skateistan and is busy setting upnew-wave in Sheffield.
