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Good god, you guys! Just accept that we, us, an archaic internet message board comprised of skate nerds perpetually mulling over the meaning of skate footage as it relates to all other past, present and future skate footage is not Beatrice's target audience. Frankly, I don't know who her audience is, maybe young female skaters, maybe young, black female skaters, maybe young, black, east coast female skaters? In any case, it exists and it's not us. There are skaters hyped on this, even if you can't understand it. Pulling out your trusty street skating measuring stick is useless and embarrassing. It's not some great travesty that there's interest in her skating. Maybe the most interesting thing about it is how much anger it stirs in you. Let her do her thing for the people who are into it, and she can hopefully find herself a black woman making some money in the skate industry. A rare, if not totally unprecedented, occurrence. The other 95% of the industry abides by the traditional standards you so crave. You've pretty much got the whole place to yourself, go nuts! Can't we just leave this woman alone?
This is well put and I was with you (as in I accept not being the target audience, and I accept being out of touch, considering my age) until that bit about "black woman making money in the skate industry". This American obsession with identity is profoundly unhealthy IMO and it's being exported everywhere through english-speaking media, which honestly worries me. To put it succintly, it amounts to judging people for who they are, not what they do. Does everyone need to be "represented"? Do we now need a native american woman pro skater too? should we frown upon any white male turning pro, because there are too many of them already?
I guess my being French may have something to do with me having a hard time to understand this way of thinking. For context, it's plain illegal in France to ask someone to specify their ethnicity (in writing I mean). I was shocked when I spent a semester in an American university and I had to check a "race box" on the application papers. Which was even more confusing to me, as at the time I did not know my ethnic background, as an adopted kid. But that's another story.
I agree and what’s weirder is that when black athletes have broken sports barriers, it’s because I they have undeniable skill. Robinson, woods, Williams sisters. Beatrice is not even bang average. There are a few of black girls right now like Samaria, who is beloved, that could use that shine. I just don’t see how Emperors New Clothes-ing Beatrice gets more black women into skating bc the narrative that creates is “we value your skin color over your talent or ability”.
Beatrice obviously likes skateboarding as a culture and I don’t doubt she watches vids and fans out like the rest of us do. I’m just not convinced she likes skating as a career. She’d be better to pivot to a personality side of the industry like a podcast or contest hype person like Gary Rogers does for Thrasher tours and demos where she can share her love that way instead of pretending she’s an actual deserving skateboarder. I think she’d find that reciprocal love there
https://www.vogue.com/sponsored/article/beatrice-domond-vans“I’m the first of hopefully many Black women who will be pro skateboarders,” she says.
I wish there was a date on when this was published. Doesn't really matter because Samaria went pro years ago. This is Vans-sponsored content. So Bea said it. Van's vetted it and gave it the okay. I think this quote encompasses vans problem of not respecting it's skate heritage and Bea's being too gassed and believing her own hype. Like there's only a handful of black women in the industry and only one of them is accomplished enough to have A thrasher cover, pro board, shoe colorway, xgames medals etc. Am I supposed to believe that Bea genuinely believed she was the first and just misspoke out of ignorance?
with that being said. Beatrice did get a lot of POC women into skateboarding. She was definitely very influential on social media and inspired a ton of women to start their own and foster community. She's come to my city at least twice that I'm aware and draws a small (20) crowd. Which can pack a park. I think in New York she has even greater influence so It makes sense for Supreme, FA, and Vans to want to put her on. She actually did a lot, and I can believe she was beloved in her scene. I think it's totally cool for her to get pro boards, shoes, and recognition for what she was doing for the community. What individuals do to help skateboarding is important. I don't think we should only reward skill.
I think her sponsors mishandled her pro debut push and her own interviews didn't help her likability. I can't believe FA dropped that "Hey look at our awesome new team" video without Beatrice in it. That just as much FA's fault for letting the ball be dropped
Topic: Beatrice Domond pro for FA very soon (Read 280953 times)