My less than graceful inauguration to skateboarding began at a local skate park near my university. I had visited a few times before I finally built up the courage to get on a board. Before I could stand properly on a skateboard I would just sit there and watch my boyfriend do an ollie (one of the first tricks learned by a skateboarder in which the rider and the board move in an upward motion caused by a pop of the board) over barricades and play skate (one person does a combination of tricks and movements and the other must mimic them) with the other skateboarders there. I found myself to be the only girl there slowly pushing myself around the park and although I did enjoy it I felt completely out of place. All eyes were on me as if everyone around me was anticipating my next mistake or at least that was how it had felt.  I was no pro as I could barely stand on the board for longer than a minute without losing my balance and all the men around me seemed to have been doing the sport for years. It was intimidating to say the least, but I kept trying my best. I welcomed every fall and scrape with open arms and so did those around me. When I would try a new trick or even just speed up my skating if I fell everyone around me would cheer me on and encourage me to keep trying. I can remember one occasion in which I fell and one of the regulars there ran over to me asking me if i was okay and helped me get back up on two legs. I slowly began feeling more and more welcomed at my local skate park so why couldn’t other locations do the same for women?