All of us, in one way or another, seek to better our conditions within our respective communities and skateboarding is no exception to that. However, the fight for social equity is one that requires continued efforts, both mentally and physically. Whether it is at a local level or on a global scale, each step toward it becomes increasingly enjoyable. Yet, each defeat also feels remarkably heavier. So when you are faced with a setback, you ought to remember that your efforts are neither worthless or worth less.
Words by Emanuele Barbier
On the last weekend of February, the 26th edition of the Tampa Pro contest was held. For the first time, it included a Women’s Open. With frequent and casual circuit competitors alike, womxn from all over the globe didn’t miss the opportunity to attend. However, once the contest was done, and the winners received their prize money, it was clear there is still work to be done for womxn’s equality in skateboarding.
Unfortunately, The Skatepark of Tampa was not reachable for an interview despite several attempts.
Competing Internationally as a Skater:
“I don’t properly remember the numbers, […], but I know that if my position had been awarded the same as that of the men, I would have recovered the money I spent on that trip,” pro skateboarder Ana Rendon says.
From the top six ranking women at Tampa Pro, only one of them, Samarria Brevard, lives in the United States. Ana Rendon, who came up 5th, made the trip from Medellín, Colombia. She received $250 as prize money, making a quarter more than what Angelo Caro got for placing 12th. She would have received $1000 if she was paid as equally as her man counterpart. Though, coming to Tampa wasn’t for the money, as much as it was for the sheer excitement of participating in such an emblematic contest.
“It’s the first year for women [to be included], it is difficult to manage a space that has always been for men and I think it’s a great step for women skateboarding.” – Ana Rendon
“My reaction when I heard of the event was like ‘Seriously?! I wanna go!’ but the truth is, I didn’t think I could,” she says. While she receives money from her sponsors for flights and registration fees, the rest of her expenses come out of her own pocket. With no monthly income, Rendon fundraised money selling some of her belongings and bags of Alfajores biscuits she made herself.
With that money and her friends’ help in Florida, she stayed in Miami for a month before Tampa Pro. “I was lucky and it was a great blessing to have them there because not everyone would open their doors to a stranger,” she says. Yet, even with the help of sponsors and friends, budgeting and travelling abroad for a skater can always be scary.
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“To be honest, I wasn’t so disappointed,” Rendon says before adding, “It’s the first year for women [to be included], it is difficult to manage a space that has always been for men and I think it’s a great step for women skateboarding.”
She adds the daily growth of women skateboarding and increase of participation in contests will eventually bridge the gap. “I think, like me, many [women competing at Tampa] made a great effort to go to the event and should be rewarded […] Not by giving ‘back’ the money, that’s ridiculous, I am talking about it being reflected in the prize money,” she says.
Fostering Change Through Conversation :
Once the contests ended, the prize purses showing the gap were heavily shared on social media. As many spoke up against the disparity, equal pay activists Mimi Knoop and Kim Woozy were both happy to see the movement asserting for an equal prize purse.
“It was kind of interesting to see everyone being vocal about that. That’s a new phenomenon, it didn’t use to be like that back in the days,” says Knoop. For Woozy, social media are a great opportunity for people, brands and events to be held accountable. “The skaters, the audience, the participants, we have a lot of power, the power to say ‘Hey, this isn’t right.’ That’s when the transformation comes,” she says.
“Skaters are resilient and will find a way to grow and learn from their mistakes.” – Kim Woozy
It is with that power that arises the need for open conversations. As the community evolves and becomes more aware of its own diversity, it’s decisive to not let screens and keyboards deteriorate the way we interact. “It’s important not to be angry, especially when we are young, when we bring a lot of emotions to a situation, then it’s hard to look at just the facts,” Woozy says.
Knoop, herself saw the benefits of open communication through her fight for equal pay in 2005. “It took us a while to get [X-Games managers] to sit down and have that conversation with us. But once we had it, it was about working together and communicating,” she says.
She had been in discussion with the organizers of Damn Am—an amateur contest series created by SPoTampa—so she knew of the event and was excited about it. Yet, Knoop hadn’t realized there was going to be a gap in pay. Although she was disappointed, she says “at the same time, I think these guys have really good intentions. […] I don’t think it was malicious or anything else.”
“Because of your born assigned gender doesn’t mean you are not as smart, as strong or as capable.” – Kim Woozy
For Woozy as well, the pay gap is an example of the community’s approach to growing by failing. “Skate culture is very DIY, you figure it out, you make mistakes and you learn. Many events, grassroots gatherings and brands start not knowing how to really do it and figure it out along the way,” she adds, “Skaters are resilient and will find a way to grow and learn from their mistakes.”
Yet, Woozy insists on the importance of equal pay for the stability of the world’s economy and particularly, the future of younger generations. She explains how the perception of unequal pay can automatically enforce the idea they are less than and limit their growth. “Because of your born assigned gender doesn’t mean you are not as smart, as strong or as capable,” she says. Adding, however, if they are set-up in a construct telling them it is true, over time they may value back themselves.
“When looking at it, some of the most skilled professionals skaters of today had an environment in which they were told they could do anything, regardless of their gender,” Woozy says. In a structure allowing one to grow without societally constructed barriers, the ‘limits’ are smaller than for others who were told they couldn’t. Barriers that Knoop and Woozy, along with many others, are actively trying to break down.
An Ever-Growing Process:
Last year, Woozy was brought in by Tasha Boerner Horvath and Cori Schumacher to witness at the State Capitol for Equal Pay for Equal Play. There, she shared the story of Knoop and Burnside’s fight for equity in 2005 along with her work at Skate Like A Girl. Her words and experience aimed to help lawmakers and voters understand the importance of equal prize money for athletes.
On January 1st, 2020 the law passed, invoking equal prize money for athletes participating in sports events held on state lands in California. Woozy explains that while this law only affects very specific areas, she believes local governments and other states will come to apply it.
“Honestly, in an ideal world, and I feel this should be the same for the guys too, […] there should be a path for any boy or girl to try to be a professional skateboarder and live off of skateboarding.” – Mimi Knoop
Equal Pay for Equal Play is the first law related to gender equality since Title IX passed in 1972. Something Woozy was made aware of recently through her participation in the bill. “By the time I was growing up in the 90s’ all schools had girls teams as a result of Title IX. I didn’t know this was law because I was born into this,” Woozy says.
The impact that Title IX has had on the U.S. society is tremendous. It shows how down the line, Equal Pay for Equal Play could transform skateboarding events, particularly, ones held in skateparks that are city facilities.
“The point of [Equal Pay, Equal Play] is to shift the culture,” she says. “At the end of the day, it isn’t so much about the law as it is about us valuing these things,” she adds.
“We’re here to help bridge that gap. So, the next time I talked to [Damn Am organizers] […] we’ll have a conversation about it.” – Mimi Knoop
Equal Pay, Equal Play is not the only initiative trying to shift the culture. Mimi Knoops’ organization, the Women’s Skateboarding Alliance has been working to ensure womxn skaters are paid with fairness and legitimacy. It began with Knoop’s efforts to change the skateboarding environment for womxn riders and continued with the organization of its own events. Eventually, when women skateboarding became more popular with increasing demands from films and television, it became a consulting space.
“[Commercials] typically hire us separately, so [the money] never comes out of the skater’s pay. I’m not an agent. I’m not going and getting peoples’ rates and then taking their money kind of thing,” Knoop says. She adds that while the superstars of men skaters have sports agents dealing with their sponsors, it was not the case for womxn up until recently.
Initiatives like the WSA can help skaters with award disparities. “We’re here to help bridge that gap. So, the next time I talked to [Damn Am organizers] […] we’ll have a conversation about it,” Knoop says. Though in her opinion, equal pay is not the only option for womxn to become equal participants in the community.
An increase in contests opportunity with equal purses would give more chances for non-cis-men skaters to make a living or a decent amount of money according to Knoop. “Honestly, in an ideal world, and I feel this should be the same for the guys too, […] there should be a path for any boy or girl to try to be a professional skateboarder and live off of skateboarding,” she says.
Feature illustration by Emanuele Barbier
“I wanna take this occasion and give a thousand thanks to all the people that helped me on this journey, they are my angels” – Ana
