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. Last week we brought you part one, here we return to the series for part two.

Sean (@sean_illies) and Tosh (@toshmanskates)

What are your names and how old are you?
Sean Michaels, 33 and Tosh Michaels, 7

What do you do?
Skate and go to school.

How did you first get into skateboarding?
Sean: Friends and family.
Tosh: My dad skates and taught me.

What does skateboarding represent to you? What do you get out of it?
Tosh: It represents freedom and creativity. It is a way to express myself. I hope to get a sponsor and be able to skate for life.

How would you describe the LA skate scene?
Sean: Skateboarding is huge in LA. It is a lifestyle. Our family lives and breathes skateboarding.

Where is your favorite place to skate?
Tosh: Venice Skatepark. It is home!

What is your favorite deck that you own?
Tosh: My Almost Deawon Song deck because he is one of my favourite skaters and I have the privilege of being able to call him my friend.

Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
Tosh: My dad is my biggest influence. My favourite skater is Nyjah Houston.

Lance (@lvnxe)

What is your name and how old are you?
Lance Williams, I’m 25.

What do you do?
Photographer.

How did you first get into skateboarding?
I started skateboarding in Memphis, TN when I was thirteen.

What does skateboarding represent to you? What do you get out of it?
It represents freedom, mobility, attitude, and self-expression.

How would you describe the LA skate scene?
The skate scene here is stronger than anywhere else I’ve ever been. It’s at LA’s core.

Where is your favourite place to skate?
Downtown LA.

Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
Lance Mountain.

“Skateboarding represents who you are as a person. When I skate, it blocks all negativity out of my life and is a form of meditation.”

 

Chakarra (@kingcjworldwide)

What is your name and how old are you?
My name is Chakarra and I am 23 years old.

What do you do?
I am a creative artist and I currently work retail at the Brooklyn Projects.

How did you first get into skateboarding?
It all started when Christmas time came around in 2008 and the first thing I thought of was a skateboard. I’ve been in the sport since then.

What does skateboarding represent to you?
Skateboarding represents who you are as a person. When I skate, it blocks all negativity out of my life and is a form of meditation.

How would you describe the LA skate scene?
The LA skate scene is of fashion, style, and realistically build around a firm cult.

Where is your favourite place to skate?
My favourite place to skate is Venice Beach Park or Stoner Park.

What is your favorite deck you own?
Deathwish Skateboards

Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
My biggest influences are Terry Kennedy and Ryan Sheckler.

Kate (@kate.baum) and Miles (@1kmiles_)

Kate:

What is your name and how old are you?
Kate Baumgarten, I’m fourteen years old.

What do you do?
I skate and make art.

How did you first get into skateboarding?
Watching people at the skate park.

What does skateboarding represent to you? What do you get out of it?
It represents a sort of freedom. I get happiness out of it.

How would you describe the LA skate scene?
It’s beautiful, you see different styles of people and how they skate.

Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
The people I see everyday at the skate park inspire me to be better.

Miles:

What is your name and how old are you?
My name is Miles and I’m seventeen years old.

What do you do?
I skateboard and model.

How did you first get into skateboarding?
I got into skating from watching my older brother.

How would you describe the LA skate scene?
Full of good vibes and good people.

Where is your favourite place to skate?
Venice Beach Skatepark.

Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
My older brother.

Justin Drysen (@justindrysen)

What is your name and how old are you?
Justin Drysen

What do you do?
I skateboard a lot, I like taking photos and painting as well.

How did you first get into skateboarding?
My moms got me and my brother a board when I turned 6 and he turned 5 and ended up picking it up a year later.

What does skateboarding represent to you? What do you get out of it?
It represents my life, everything I do revolves around it. It’s the best feeling.

How would you describe the LA skate scene?
I would describe it very busy. I feel like everyone is always out getting it.

Where is your favorite place to skate?
My fav place to skate is the streets.

What is your favorite deck you own?
Quasi Tyler Bledsoe 8.25
Venture trucks HI’s
Sml wheels 53 mm
Bones swiss bearings
Allen hardware

Who is your biggest influence in terms of skateboarding?
My biggest influence in skateboarding is Dylan R. and Jay Adams.