The first feature film charting the evolution of women’s skateboarding from underground activity to Olympic sport is on the way. A press release has announced production on “Skate Dreams” is now underway at at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, as well as in the U.S. and Africa. Jessica Edwards is directing the doc, which follows six female skaters from around the world as they work to transform the sport they love. Mimi Knoop, pro-skater and coach of the first-ever U.S. Women’s Olympic Skateboarding Team, is also a central figure.
“It’s through Mimi’s story in ‘Skate Dreams’ that audiences watch a global revolution unfold: an outsider sport once only practiced in abandoned swimming pools and vacant lots becomes the fastest growing sport in the U.S.,” the source describes. “Young American women like Nicole Hause and Nora Vasconcellos use social media to bypass traditional skateboarding gatekeepers to create successful careers on their own terms; and around the globe, women like Chansangva (Tin) Kouv in Cambodia, Sandy Alibo in Ghana, and Jessyka Bailey in Brooklyn use the freedom and independence of skateboarding to propel a global shift in gender and racial equality on, and off, their skateboards.”
The Women’s Olympic Street and Park Skateboarding Competition made its debut at Tokyo this year.
“We’ve been working for a long time to create opportunities where none existed prior out of sheer necessity,” Knoop said. “As skateboarding makes its debut on the global stage, I’m excited to participate in a film that tells the untold story that led us to this moment.”
Edwards added, “Since my 9-year-old daughter decided she wanted to pick up a skateboard, I’ve been fascinated and inspired by groups of skaters defining their communities on their own terms and using the sport not just for personal independence but as a way to lift each other up. As skateboarding gains global attention on sports’ biggest stage, I want to highlight the struggle and journey that it took to get here.”
“Mavis!” and “The Landfill” are among Edwards’ directing credits. She also produced the former and served as exec producer on “Rams,” “Workplace,” and “Design Canada.”
“Skate Dreams'” creative team includes director of photography Jenni Morello, editor Maya Tippett, and producer Erin Owens.
Other projects centering female skaters on our radar include “Betty” and “Skater Girl.” The former, Crystal Moselle’s ensemble comedy about young women making their mark on the male-dominated world of skateboarding, wrapped up its second season on HBO last month. From director Manjari Makijany, Netflix pic “Skater Girl” sees a teen in Rajasthan, India torn between cultural expectations and her passion for the sport.
