WHAT: Promoting Female Skateboarding
WEBSITE: skirtboarders.com
CANADA
Skirtboarders is a crew based in Montréal. The summer of 2002 brought them all together at the same time in the same city. They shared the same passions: skateboarding, going downhill, taking pictures, sharing good laughs around dinner and beers … Since then, the troop keeps on growing every year. Check them out ’cause they don’t stay still!
Interview with founder Mathilde Pigeon (June 2008)
What are the Skirtboarders and how did they come about?
The Skirtboarders crew is a bunch of friends of all ages who simply skate together in Montréal and gather as often as possible. It all started 6 years ago with nearly 10 girls, but the crew keeps on growing every year now! Most of us are French Canadians, but some of us live in BC and Mexico. Montréal is definitely our meeting point though!
How do you become a Skirtboarder?
Well, this is a good question… If you feel like you are a Skirtboarder, then you are! For real, I think I have no concrete answer… We’re just a bunch of friends so if you become one of our friends or spend some time skating in Montréal with us, then you slowly become a Skirtboarder!
Where did the name come from?
That was a few years ago. Amy Mattes (original crew member) and I were brainstorming for a website name. She came up with the name “Skirtboarders” and we both loved it! We bought the domain name and the rest of it is history!
What are some of the different roles in the crew?
There are practically no roles except for Julie Lévesque and I. She’s in charge of the logistics in our travels and I take care of the footage and the website…but any girl in the crew could show up tomorrow and get as involved as we are. As long as we can get together and have fun, we all play the same roles!
When did you make your first video and why?
Our first video came out in April 2003. I was just so glad we all got together that I decided to pick up a camera and film the girls so we could have our own little video to watch! But the guys in Montréal would see us filming and ask “so, when is the video coming out?” So we decided to make a big premiere night and nearly 275 people showed up.
What other video projects have you done?
In ascending order: “Boy Vidéo” (2003), “Skirtboarders, Le Film” (2006), “Island Str33t Chaud” – Montréal Skateboarding webTV show (2007), “Les Skirtboarders au Mexique” – WebTV Show (2008).
Where can girls get your videos?
“Skirtboarders, Le Film” is available through Platinum Distribution and also features our first video production “Boy Vidéo” in the bonus section. The WebTV shows are available at any time, on the web.
Tell me about your recent trip to Mexico.
Wow, where should I start? I don’t know, we had this crazy idea of going there to meet with Renata Ruiz, our Mexican ambassador… It ended up being a real tour with lots of people expecting us, media, sponsors and autograph sessions… Crazy, I am telling you! The Mexicans are amazingly warm and welcoming. They have great parks and street spots over there. We would go back any time!
What are some of the common questions you hear?
“Do you guys really wear skirts?”, “How can I found a girls crew of my own?”, “Where can I find more flicks of Anne-Sophie Julien?”, “Who’s single?” (For real, I get emails asking me that question all the time! Which I think is Anne-Sophie and Margaux’s fault because they’re hot chicks!)
How has the crew changed over the years?
The goal remains the same, but some younger girls like Annie Guglia and Éloïse Théorêt have joined us and we definitely travel more and more. We all got older, some of us started real careers, like Louise Hénault-Éthier who’s now a biologist. Some of us are moms, like Rébecca Filion… But let’s say the crew just naturally grows, just like a plant (how cheesy!)
Plans for the future.
Keep on traveling, making videos, meeting new people and sharing our stories on the web at skirtboarders.com. We hope to give each girl of the crew the visibility they deserve and to be an inspiration for the girls out there… And to always have fun skating, especially together!
