Skateboarding turning into popular sport for Calgary girls
It's one of those activities that any guy with a little courage and talent could try out, but these days skateboard coach Becca Ballantyne is seeing a new trend: more girls taking up the sport.
"Gone are the days of this is a boys sport or this is a girls sport," said Ballantyne. "I remember growing up and I was one of the only girls out at the skate park with my brother and his friends and I was like this is kind of intimidating."
"Now," she added, "you look around and there's mostly girls here."
One of Ballantyne's star pupils is 10-year-old Isla Graven who took up the sport at five. She's a snowboarder as well and those skills fit perfectly for her on a skateboard.
"I like airing over skateboards," said Graven. "And I like dropping in on bigger things like the bowl here."
Her favourite place to ride in Calgary is the New Brighton Skate Park in the southeast but it took her a while to get used to the concrete surface.
"The first time I came here I fell quite a lot because of the bumps and how slippery it was to me," said Graven. "I guess I just got used to it."
Her skating partner is 12-year-old Calla Stauch who likes half pipes and mini ramps. Stauch likes making friends in the skateboarding community and admires Graven's talent.
"She's basically almost better than me and it's like crazy," said Stauch. "She's just really good in the bowl, she carves really well and can have great runs."
The girls are fans of 13-year-old British skateboarder Sky Brown who just took home a bronze medal in the women's park final in Tokyo.
"To see a 13-year-old girl come in second, that's crazy," said Christine Graven, Isla's mom. "And the girl doing back to back 540's there, who would have thought it?"
Isla's mom said she's not pushing her daughter to compete, but wants her to have fun skateboarding and progress at her own pace.
"We don't like to say hey Isla how would you like to be an Olympian?" she said. "We'll just see how it goes really, if she wants to pursue it then for sure we're 100 per cent behind her."
Isla said she wants to spend the next few years learning as much as she can in her sport and continue to train to get better. But at 10 years old, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics are too far away to plan for.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.