Skating queer in a small Cornish Town

From Cornwall to London, how inclusive and diverse is the skate scene?

Skating has historically been a sport with a cliquey, subculture dominated by young, cis white males, contrasting the whole identity of skate until recently it has been exclusive. A counterculture, which in hindsight, didn’t seem to counter much, at least in terms of a heteronormative society.

And yet the scene is changing. Up and down the UK and across the world, skating no longer comes with the same stigma it used to. The marginalised rebels frowned upon by older generations are now seen differently. With groups, in Falmouth alone, such as Wild Women Skate and The Love Park. Providing safe and inclusive spaces for people to enter skating.

But is this true of every part of the UK, or is it just a big-city phenomenon?

To find out, I spoke with Luke Diboll, a 25-year-old queer skater, heralding from London but imemersed within the Cornish skate scene for a couple years, specifically in Falmouth.

Falmouth is in some ways a typical Cornish seaside town, boasting a harbour, beaches and a plethora of overpriced fish and chip shops. But there’s a university here, bringing a whole cohort of young people from multicultural backgrounds to this otherwise mono-cultural town. And now there is also an indoor skate park, which opened in August 2023. Known fittingly as ‘The Love Park’, this is where Luke and I met for the photoshoot.

It was a quiet Wednesday afternoon in Falmouth, only a couple skaters where in the Love Park. Luke and the others all new each other and whilst exchanging pleasantries, they had a go at trying to land some new tricks. Each skater was respectful of the other, giving one another plenty of time and space to land trikes and cruise.

Luke identifies as bisexual, fitting within the queer sphere. Having lived both in Cornwall and London, he was well placed to give insight into these two very different sides of the skating world from his perspective as a member of both the LGBTQ+ community and the skate community.

Luke told me about how he got into skateboarding. “When I was about 11 a group of friends I had in my area who started skating convinced me to trade in my bike for a skateboard and it just stuck as an obsession.”

This start into the subculture is seemingly typical and at such a young age, thoughts about diversity and representation are likely not to be sprouting.

When he got started talking, Luke couldn’t stop. “For all these years, no matter how long I stopped for, it always circled back to skating. And it’s impacted my life for the better. I don’t know what I'd be doing now without it, as it opened so many doors for me.” He doesn’t regret trading in that bike.

When I asked whether he sees a difference between the skate culture of Cornwall and London, Luke said “Very much so, but also not at all. Skating culture has changed so much in the last few years alone. I remember when I first started it was still very much mocked. Trends have changed though, and skating culture has become popularised.”

The rebellious origins of the sport are waning and skating is beginning to look more like part of mainstream culture rather than remaining in the murky subcultural shadows.

Inclusivity is vital to positive progression within any culture, and I was interested to know if Luke had found the Cornish skating community more inclusive than in London.

“I would almost say the opposite. Not that the community down here isn't inclusive, but there's a big lack of diversity in Cornwall, being so far removed from the rest of the country, and that comes with its own issues. But that’s not to say it's not inclusive the skateboard community literally found its roots in oddballs and outcasts so there's always space for anyone under the banner of skating.”

Many people in the same generation as me and Luke struggle with our identities, whether that’s in relation to the world as a whole or the smaller communities, we find ourselves engaging with. It almost seems like you can be anybody and nobody at the very same time. I asked Luke about how he feels he fits within the LGBTQ+ community.

Luke told me how he struggles with this question quite a lot: “I'm entirely open about my sexuality with people but it always comes as a shock to most, as I don't think I fit the general colourful stereotype people have associated with the LGBTQ+ community. I'm bisexual of course and I am a part of the community.

“I am proud, though, and have pride in myself. But I think growing up in the environment I did, where homosexuality was chastised, it took a lot to get my head around the idea that you don't have to fit the stereotype to be the way you are and like the people you like.”

This is the important growth seen in skate, you no longer must fit the stereotype, of the young, white cis male. Skating is redefining itself as inclusive rather than exclusive.

I asked Luke whether he thinks the skate scene is currently a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. He said “Absolutely skateboarding is a space for everyone.

With any community you have those bad apples that will disagree but that's usually because those bad apples who rolled into the patch, fell from trees which were already diseased by a bigoted environment.”

This metaphor of the bad apples Luke has used, best presents how despite any community or subculture taking progressive steps forward, to become more inclusive and accepting there will always be individuals, with preexisting ideologies surrounding who should and should not be part of their group.

It is important that those progressive voices drown out the drone of the negative and stagnant individuals. 

Luke is “hopeful people will see through the dark thicket our current government and media have overhead.” The larger culture must also move forward and influence these subcultures for the better.

Skating is becoming more inclusive from Cornwall to London and beyond. A rebellious subculture living up to its image. Young, cis white males no longer dominate, everyone is now welcome and accepted no matter how you choose to identify.

Of course, there will always be those that disrupt this progress. Those voices are getting quieter day by day. A counterculture truly, no longer a clique, rebelling against the powers that be.

An ever-growing cohort of skaters is sweeping the country, a cohort made up of everyone and anyone. Striving to make the world just that little bit better.

Luke summed up our conversation here nicely “skate community in my opinion is where I see most diversity, you have all different backgrounds, professions and sexualities just through the common interest of skating.”