Lonely Bones offers anyone the chance to skateboard
BOSTON - When Claire Lee and Rayven Tate took up skateboarding, they shared similar feelings.
"Not seeing anyone who looks like you, you start feeling like an imposter even when you try," said Tate.
They knew they were not alone. In 2020, they founded Lonely Bones Skate Collective with a mission in mind: "To create a safe space for non-traditional skaters and to kind of marry art and style," said Tate.
The two Northeastern University graduates encourage skaters of all skill levels to join them at the skate park in a welcoming and judgment-free environment.
"You go, 'Okay, we're going to the skate park, I'm going to skate around, I'm going to do my thing, that's what I'm here for.' It's this weight that just melts off your shoulders because you know you have someone to back you up," said Tate.
The group holds events a few times a month at various skate parks throughout Greater Boston, always free to the public and open to anyone.
"We have more casual events where it's very skating centered. We teach each other. And we have gear to borrow to help make skating more accessible," said co-founder Claire Lee.
The events attract up to 200 people, including Kerry Lloyd.
"I started showing up to their events because there's not a lot of queer community in skateboarding, and I thought it would be really cool to see more people like me," said Lloyd.
"Having role models for young skaters, and just people, honestly, kids, to look up to that aren't necessarily what you see in media, will make a long-lasting impact and that's at end of the day what we want to do," said Lee.