In episode two of COLLECTIVES – the series created by UK’s Rachael Sherlock, in collaboration with SKATEISM and Nike SB – Girls Skate Turkey introduce us to their community, as well the prospects for a brighter future for skateboarding in Istanbul and further afield as one of their skaters heads towards the Olympics. We spoke to Rachael about the project, and what it was like to work with the GST collective.
Photography by Aurore Roussel
Rachael! Who are you and where did you come from?
I’m a film-maker, sponsored by Three Amigos in Camden, London. I’m big on skaters supporting their local skate shops and for me that’s Three Amigos. I worked at ITV Daytime for almost 5 years, but left last year to dedicate more time to skateboarding related projects and travelling. I’m calling this my ‘working gap year’. [Laughs] I travel and do odd jobs, freelancing when I’m back in London.
Where did the idea for ‘Collectives’ come from?
Me and Kristina – who runs the Girl’s Night at Bay Sixty 6 – had noticed a lot of groups in the world who were doing good for the community and asked me if I would be up for researching them all and seeing if there was a video there. This was around the same time that my friend Liz Shaw and I were helping Jenna Selby relaunch the Rogue Skateboards Insta and website, and Jenna and I had planned a self-funded skate trip for October to visit some skateparks and communities in the Middle East.
I planned to meet Jenna in Erbil, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan, after I visited Turkey with my girlfriend (who is also the graphic designer for the series and photographer for this episode!) I decided to pitch the idea to Kristina about including some groups from abroad as well as those in London. We were able to include Jenna Selby as the series photographer as she’s not only one of the best skateboard photographers in UK, but was also travelling to most of the same places as I was. With the help of Nike SB and SKATEISM as partners, the series is now being released one episode per week for six weeks!
How did you find out about Girls Skate Turkey?
I reached out to a Turkish Insta account called Skateboard Turkey to see if they knew of any girls skating in Istanbul. They told me that they didn’t have any girl members themselves but linked me up with an account that had just started called GirlsSkateTurkey.
“I was keen when making this video to avoid stereotypes, and representing people with authenticity.”
I sent them a message and they said that my dates in Istanbul were around the same time that one of the admins, Ipek, was visiting from where she is studying in Berlin and would be helping the others to put on their first ever girl’s meet-up event in Maltepe Skatepark. Kristina at Nike SB was amazing, she hooked me up with some shoes and apparel to give away at the event.
First impressions of Istanbul. Had you ever been before?
I was lucky to travel Turkey as a baby actually, in my dad’s caravan, but I can’t say I remember anything. Besides, I’m sure it’s changed a lot since I was little. But my short stay in Istanbul this time blew my mind. When I called with one of the admins before the trip, she told me she was sick of videos that start with iconic mosque shots and include terrible Arabic style music – the stereotypes basically.
These don’t define these people, generally or as skateboarders. I was keen when making this video to avoid stereotypes, and representing people with authenticity. Looking more deeply, I learned that there are two sides to the city – the European side and the Asian side. Some of the skateboarders were religious but most I met had piercings and tattoos and could be seen sat at a bar drinking whilst the last prayer for the night sounded over the city.
It seems like an amazing place to skate…
Istanbul is full of street spots, like Besiktas, but you can just skate around and find countless stairs and ledges. The streets are pretty clean too, if absolutely full of cats. But they seemed pretty well looked after. People had left food out in the streets, and boxes for when it gets cold.
You met Merve, who skates for the National team, what was that like?
Merve was amazing! She couldn’t actually make the meet up on Sunday because she’s also a really good football player and had a match to play. When we met her, she didn’t speak much English but that didn’t matter because another girl, Seckin, had already given her an awesome introduction. I’m not sure if Merve will qualify for the Olympics next year but it’s great that Turkey has a girl on the team and is supporting her.
It seems that the UK government is much more reluctant about supporting women unless they can prove they have ‘medal potential’… not to go on a bitter rant about how I wish some of our street skaters in the UK were being supported. Either way, I will say that Merve has an extremely promising future and is a clear inspiration to all the girls that skate in Turkey. I hope to come back to Istanbul and shoot again with her sometime!
What does the future hold for you as a film-maker?
I’ve been trying to get into live streaming for skate competitions, but had no response yet. As I worked in broadcasting for a long time, I know how to rig, I know how to operate ped cameras, but most of all I believe I can plan and direct a cracking live stream for the women! I’m going to try and contact them again for shadow at the next London SLS, and also suggest the idea that they let me go out and shoot VTs with people like Candy Jacobs. This would be my dream.
Oh, it’ll happen.
