Are skateboarders really solving the world’s problems, one trick at a time?

The women keep their distance. “Especially if you’re a beginner, guys look at you weird.” VIDEO | 03:00 How women and the LGBTQ skate community are revitalizing skateboarding culture Their sport is not immune to cultural issues of race, gender and sexual orientation, but Bowen says “for women and queer people, it’s easier if you skate as a group.” And the increasing popularity of crews like hers has sociologists wondering if skaters might teach the rest of us something about inclusivity. People of color had long been part of the scene in small numbers — Williams recalls Black kids, whites and Latinos skating together in his hometown — but Hawk says urbanization supercharged this dynamic: “That’s where you saw more kids from different backgrounds.” Black people and Latinos now account for nearly a third of an estimated 9 million skaters in the U.S., according to Sports Marketing Surveys, an international research agency. “I’ll have more girls to skate with.” Aunt Skatie Aunt Skatie crew member Isabel Sherman rolls off a quarterpipe at South Pasadena Skate Park. “I’m going.” Aunt Skatie crew leader Maggie Bowen, left, and Ava Van Vechten check out the scene at South Pasadena Skate Park.