Skateboarding improves mental health, fosters community, and encourages diversity.

Until now, little attention has been directed towards truly understanding who skateboarders are, what they think, or why skateboarding becomes such an integral part of their identity.,” said Tony Hawk of the Beyond the Board study that focused on skaters 13–25 years old.

Key findings include:

• Skateboarding improves mental health.

• Skateboarding and skateparks facilitate a sense of community among skaters.

• Skateboarding encourages resilience.

From the summary:

Our research shows that through skateboarding, skaters develop the ability to communicate and build relationships with people from diverse backgrounds,” highlights Neftalie Williams of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, a scholar in race and skateboarding culture and also an expert in skate diplomacy who served as a researcher and co-author on this project. “Skaters are excellent critical thinkers and problem-solvers who view success from a more communal perspective. They bring that insight into other areas of their lives which is valuable to any university or organization.”

Interested? Read the whole summary and download a copy of the report from the Pullias Center for Higher Education.