“I grew up in Massachusetts and I had always wanted to learn how to skateboard, but not a lot of women skated in my town.” If we had a penny for every story of women in skateboarding that started that way. Annie Dean-Ganek broke through that mould when she was nine years old, when her parents bought her a skateboard. “I would skate mostly at night or by myself because I would get teased or called a poser by men if I skated in public.” A decade later, at college, Annie’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, rendering Annie her prime care-giver. “Skateboarding became a way for me to relieve a lot of stress and anger. My mom always supported my skateboarding and knew it helped me feel better. When she passed away, I was incredibly depressed and skateboarding was the only activity that made me feel anything.” But still, skateboarding’s culture excluded her. Today, Annie is working on Carving Space, a queer documentary which aims to change the tide for the next generation.
When did you finally find your community in skateboarding?
After college, I moved to LA. I didn’t know many people who I could skate with, but a friend I met in LA introduced me to Unity Skateboarding and I attended my first Unity Skate Meet-Up in November at the West LA Courthouse. The people I met there were so welcoming to everyone, no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, or skill ability. I had never experienced such an accepting skate culture and as a queer person of colour, I really gravitated towards the supportive and diverse community I saw them creating. I believe it’s important that all skaters be represented so that everyone feels there’s a place within skateboarding for them.
Is that what you’re hoping to achieve with Carving Space?
I’m hoping that this short documentary I’m producing and directing will help give queer skaters more visibility and diminish the idea that skateboarding is only for cis men. It’s important that this story be told by a queer skater and not from an outside source. I’m hoping that my love for skateboarding, my background as a queer person of colour, my knowledge of the scene, and my experience working in the film industry will provide authenticity in the making of this documentary.
How can we help?
Since the film is currently being funded out of pocket, I rely on my friends, who work in the film industry with me, to donate their time and equipment towards this project. My friend, Jabari Canada, is the director of photography and he and I have been skateboarding together since college. He works in NYC as a photographer and cinematographer for commercials and music videos, working with brands like Reebok and Nike. He has a deep interest in capturing the human experience through a photographic lens and so he’s stoked to be on this project. My friend, Genesis Henriquez, is a union IATSE 700 editor. She and I both met in college as well and she is the editor and associate producer for Carving Space. She’s been essential in pulling together resources, cutting our teaser, and getting our crowdfunding campaign off the ground. You can donate to that here.
Wow, so a great team behind the scenes. What about the queer skaters featured in the film?
It’s been a true privilege being able to work with Unity Skateboarding, Mixed-Rice Zines, Pave the Way, Skate Like A Girl, and XEM Skaters. This film will examine modern instances of how cultural identity is established while celebrating the importance of diversity, community, and cultural exchange. Personal discussions will create a dialogue that ranges in topics concerning race, gender, class, religion, and age as it relates to the queer experience. We’ll be filming queer skaters up and down the coast of California and uncovering the passion people have for this sport while dissolving negative stereotypes curated my mainstream media.
Is the war being won?
Skateboarding has a long history of holding sexist and homophobic attitudes towards women and queer people. Although there’s been a lot more coverage for women recently, there’s still a huge lack of queer visibility in skateboarding. Skateboarding is for everyone and it takes a lot of courage and commitment to step on a skateboard. Skateboarding asks you to put yourself out there both mentally and physically. I believe that the non-conformist nature of skateboarding and the freedom of expression and creativity that skateboarding provides are exceptionally conducive to gender queer and trans people. Skateboarders are free-spirits who can’t be put in a box and I think skateboarding and queer culture go hand in hand.
Word! We can’t wait to see the finished film, Annie. Thank you!
Photos courtesy of Annie Dean-Ganek
