ALL WE WANT IS GIRLS!
The first time I stepped on a skateboard I must admit, I nearly killed myself. My friends decided that I should be the first girl to test their 5ft half pipe built in a backyard barn. Me being the "I can do whatever the boys can do" kind of girl said "no problem". Little did I know the skill that is actually needed to fling oneself down a 5 ft. ramp. The guys strapped me up in hockey equipment and said, " just lean forward and go with the momentum of the board" ...uuh, ya right!
I think right then and there I decided I needed to perhaps stick to trying to master street style.
It seems more than ever, however, girls are starting to join the ranks of the males skate scene. Global Surf News reports that,
Of the 38 sports and activities surveyed by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) in its Sports Participation – Series I and II reports, the female share of skateboarding showed the strongest increase. Females represented 26.6% (2.7 million) of total skateboard participation in 2007; in 2002, they represented on 19.5% (1.9 million) of the participants.
So what does this mean for the industry??
Well, for one we will have to start catering towards a younger female market in order to maintain a pool of up and coming female skaters. This will mean everything from competitions and sponsorships to clothing and and equipment. Will the industry follow suit? Well, if it wants to cash in it will have to. Mark my words, look out for more and more female oriented skate gear in stores near you.
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