Representation in skateboarding is a very fraught, complicated thing and so many trick names can be traced back to shitty dude jokes, but this is genuinely heartwarming to see:

Misogyny, homophobia, racism, and more have been so rampant in Skate culture since its inception that, to this day, its effects are still felt. Change is and has been happening for a long time, but we have a long way to go.

One of the grosser (& all too common) skate phrases is the shortened term that people use to refer to transition skating. Not going to type it in here, but its use does not come from a place of good faith. If not from poor humor and meanness, it comes from a place of indifference

It is also the first game with a trans skater which is 1. Rad and 2. A Big Fucking Deal because homophobia has historically been SO BAD in skateboarding.

I’ve been skateboarding since 2003. Skating then and now are two very different cultures but there are still some ugly similarities between the two. It is up to skaters to police their communities, call friends out when they say bad shit, and more.

Also, as a white male, it is important to call out other white guys, even friends, when they mess up. We all mess up. Educate them, and if they don’t want to learn, distance them from the community itself.

Language has power but it is not set in stone. We can change gross trick names, get rid of certain skating terms all together, it really isn’t that hard.