That sense of being connected to something bigger is what unites the Skater Uktis community. Nida Ahmad, the Colorado representative of Skater Uktis, tells me she picked skateboarding back up in her 30s and would drive two hours every week to skate just so she’d be amongst other women. Having safe spaces to gather together continues to give Ahmad strength when Islamophobia continues to rise globally.
“Sport is political,” says Ahmad. “Especially through the lens of a Muslim woman, whose body is constantly surveilled and policed, showing up is a form of resistance, through motion, joy, and community.”
At the heart of Skater Uktis, resistance exists in everyday acts, whether that be learning a new trick or being visible in spaces where women have not always been expected to belong. “That moment when the wind hits your face and you feel the board glide is liberating,” Mohammed says, fondly. “It’s a reminder that freedom can be found in movement, in breath, and in small victories no one else sees.”
She continues: “No matter what is happening around us, there are parts of ourselves that no one can take away.”
Zahra Onsori is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Instagram.
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