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Maak kennis met de LA Skate Hunnies - de coolste crew op acht wielen! Geboren in de zonovergoten straten van Los Angeles, draait het bij dit door vrouwen opgerichte collectief allemaal om gemeenschap en kameraadschap. Met meer dan 700 leden en 100 evenementen per jaar zijn ze niet zomaar een groep; ze zijn een beweging op wielen.
We spraken met Jen, de oprichtster van deze bruisende skategemeenschap, om meer te horen over hoe het allemaal tot stand is gekomen...
Hello Hunnies! Your community is a pandemic baby (wild!)… how did you manage this and arrive at the amazing position you’re in now, running skate events at various locations across LA?
Yeah, it is crazy. I had just moved to Los Angeles, and I didn't have a community around me. And then more than any other times before, I felt like we really needed community. And so I just posted on Facebook an event for women to come and skate with me because I felt like I didn't know any other girls that rollerbladed or roller skated.
I felt like people needed a place to connect and to go outside and to move their bodies during the pandemic. I listed that first Facebook event back in July of 2020. And then since then, really just was consistent every Thursday. For the most part, since then, four years ago, we've been hosting the meetups. And that has really led to the success of the organization. It's just that consistency of showing up and holding space for people when they need it and creating memorable experiences for people.
We LOVE the positive and supportive atmosphere you've created within the LA Skate Hunnies. How do you encourage skaters of all skill levels to join and feel included in your sessions and events?
Yeah. Thank you so much for noticing that.
Inclusion and diversity of peoples is really one of the most important things that we really champion at the Skate Honeys. Today, now, we're at a skate picnic event, and those are always beginner-friendly events where there are lessons involved and there's opportunities for people to practice and learn from community members that can teach them skills that maybe they don't have yet, and they can build on those skills and become better.
We'll even do, like, a karaoke night. And so we really are trying to bring as many people in as possible based on what other hobbies that they have outside of just skating. And so I think combining, all of our beginner opportunities with also our inclusive and fun themed onsie night or something, people just are so fun and friendly and really, like, charismatic, and I love that about the Skate Honeys.
What’s the most memorable skate meetup or event you’ve had so far?
I think my favorite event that we do every year is called Santa Cruz. It's a cosplay rolling holiday parade in December that we do with all our wheelie friends. So bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, roller skates, scooters, all are welcome to come mob the streets in Santa Monica with us for the Santa Cruz. It's a cosplay skate parade like I said. Like hundreds of people came with us this past year. I think we had close to like 600 people on the ride with us and the feeling of taking the street with all of the people that are feeling holiday spirit and dressed up and out to have a good time and celebrate the holiday together is just like unimaginable it's like truly magical and so that's definitely one of the most memorable events that we do and i'm really looking forward to doing it again this year
What exciting plans or goals do the LA Skate Hunnies have for the future? Any upcoming projects or events that we should keep an eye out for?
Like, I feel like only the die hard skate during the winter, and now we're coming into spring and summer, and so we have so many fun things planned. One of which is we're we're gonna be resuming our lesson programs. So seasonally, May through October, we offer a bunch of different lesson programs in beginner skills, dance skills, and, skate park skills. So those will be coming back in to play in May. We have a really exciting partnership that we're gonna be doing at lightning in a bottle, where we'll be teaching skate lessons during the day on their pop up rinkadink is what it's called, which is really cute.
So lightning in a bottle is a SoCal music festival weekend with music, workshops, wellness, and a pop up skate rink. And the Skate Honeys have been invited to teach skate lessons and host a skate dance competition there.
One other thing that just came into existence because of our partnership with Impala is that we will be, renting skates for our pop-up events and for other private events, so we're really looking forward to bringing that asset to the community to make skating more accessible and inclusive.
If the LA Skate Hunnies had a theme song, what would it be?!
If we had a theme song, it would be Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill.
Are there any ways our skate community can contribute or support the LA Skate Hunnies crew?
If you're looking to support the LA Skate Honeys crew, you can come out and join us on skate nights. We would so love to have new people. It's my favorite one.
I show up to an event and a bunch of the people have never come to skate with us before because it brings a new energy and excitement to the group that is novel and fun and just, like, really explosive. And so please come out and skate with us. We'd absolutely love to have you.
