LA SKATERS: PART 1
The vibrant stories and faces of Los Angeles’ skate scene
Earlier this year, London-based photographer Stella Asia Consonni took to the UK capital’s skate parks to photograph the skate community shredding its streets. The result was a vibrant and multi-cultural 360 profile celebrating youth, freedom, diversity and gender equality in the face of large political change in the UK and abroad.
Shifting her focus across the Atlantic for the project’s next wave, Consonni turned her lens to Los Angeles’ skate culture. A country in a vast and uneasy state of political and social flux, Consonni’s images draw focus to street level, documenting the faces that populate the city and promote true skate community values – fun, friendship and broadmindedness – in the face of adversity.
Here, we exclusively feature Consonni’s profile of the LA skate scene. Part one of three, scroll down and introduce yourself to those who make up the West Coast city’s skate scene.
What is your name and how old are you?
Zara Percy and I’m fourteen.
What do you do?
I love to skateboard!
How did you first get into skateboarding?
My older brother
What does skateboarding represent to you? What do you get out of it?
It embodies the essence of me. It is a way to express myself.
How would you describe the LA skate scene?
The girl skate scene is growing and helping us evolve.
Where is your favourite place to skate?
My favourite place to skate is the cove in Santa Monica.
Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
My biggest influence is Cindy Whitehead and her influence on female skateboarding.
What is your name and how old are you?
Haden McKenna
What do you do?
I skate and I surf, I love the outdoors.
How did you first get into skateboarding?
It was all because of my dad.
What does skateboarding represent to you? What do you get out of it?
It’s a passion, it’s what I do to release tension with all the stress I go through.
How would you describe the LA skate scene?
It’s the mecca of skateboarding.
Where is your favourite place to skate?
Venice.
What is your favourite deck you own?
I don’t have one because I break every board I get.
Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
Skateboarding itself.
What is your name and how old are you?
Rashaad “Pnutt” Meighan, 21 years old.
What do you do?
Skateboard and model.
How did you first get into skateboarding?
Playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater on playstation.
What does skateboarding represent to you? What do you get out of it?
To me, it represents uniqueness and freedom. Pure fun.
How would you describe the LA skate scene?
Trendy, crowded, popular.
Where is your favourite place to skate?
Venice, of course.
What is your favourite deck you own?
Baker! Baker! BAKER!
Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
All of my peeps. I look up to them all.
What is your name and how old are you?
Honesty Medina, I’m nineteen.
What do you do?
Skateboard and go to school.
How did you first get into skateboarding?
My family owned a skate shop.
What does skateboarding represent to you? What do you get out of it?
Freedom. You can make it creative and fun. It makes me really happy.
How would you describe the LA skate scene?
Diverse, there’s a lot of skate spots and people get real creative with it.
Where is your favorite place to skate?
Chino Skate Park
Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
Really, everyone. I love watching the guys and girls all over the world on Instagram.
Follow Stella Asia Consonni on Instagram.
Check back for parts two and three.