#GIRLS SKATE TOO: GOSIA BURKACKA

From her first tentative steps on a board, through lonely workouts under the house, to daring tricks on the largest skatepark in the country and beyond. Gosia Burkacka's story is proof that the dream of being a skateboarder is possible, no matter how you start.

Let's go back to your beginnings, how did your skateboarding adventure start? Did you have a skateboard mentor or did you pursue your learning "on your own"?

I bought my first skateboard on vacation, when my friends said that without a board I couldn't play with them. At the time I was about 11 years old and knew nothing about the sport, I only learned freestyle tricks, because the guys could only do those. When I returned from the trip, the excitement subsided and the board ended up in the garage. After a long break, I came across the IDOSK8! channel on Youtube, where the guys were recording skateboarding content from Warsaw spots. It gave me a big boost to get back on the board. At first, I learned from Youtube tutorials from Aaron Kyro. It was hard, I was riding alone in front of the house, it took me a very long time to understand the basics. A big game changer in my progression was a skateboarding trip to Woodcamp. I met a lot of friends there, and the coaches helped me with breaking into new tricks. I still keep in touch with most of the people from that camp today.

Did you have conditions for development and progression in your hometown? What are your first memories of Techramps skateparks and how did they influence your skateboarding career?

I live near Warsaw, so I have close proximity to good skateparks. When I started, I preferred to focus on learning the basics, and for that the sidewalk in front of my house was enough. My first skatepark memory - it has to be Warsaw's Potocka, my favorite spot. I can even say that it feels like a real locals there. It's definitely thanks to this skatepark that I've grown so fond of riding Quarters. There is a wide Minirampa, Barcelona, but also bigger Quarters. The perfect combination for grading the difficulty of tricks and translating them to higher and higher obstacles as you progress.

Speaking of skatepark quality.... What do you think facilities should look like in 2024 and what elements should they include?

I think they should be designed by professionals in consultation with their users. Personally, I pay attention to good site development. With good communication between communities, a satisfactory result can be achieved. An ideal example is the "legal spots", which in various cities are financed by participatory budgeting.

It did not escape our watchful eyes that you had the opportunity to test our skatepark in Zielonka. What are your impressions?

I liked the skatepark in Zielonka very much. I think it is one of the best skateparks in the country. Riding there, it feels a bit like being in America. My attention was most attracted by the big Bowl - it's great to ride on it. I've been waiting for a long time for such a facility to be built in the area! I also like the division into sections. The lower section with smaller obstacles for beginners, and the upper section for more advanced riders. Behind the skatepark is put Vert Ramp, the second one in Poland. I plan to learn to ride (and fly) on it in the near future! I also appreciate very much the separation of the section for BMX/scooters with Rollin- and Jumpbox. You can really see that the project was done by professionals in their fields, thank you very much Techramps!

How do you think the presence of high-quality skateparks from inception to construction affects the development of skateboarding in Poland?

The emergence of high-quality skateparks creates more opportunities for progression in my field, popularizes our sport, puts us in the role of athletes and dispels stereotypes. However, true skateboarding was born on the streets, and I believe that skateboarders should find the golden mean between riding in parks and spots. We need to nurture our culture, get out on the streets record good edits!

In your opinion, as a rider of Olympic stature, do our skateparks meet the expectations of the skateboarding community in terms of the type of obstacles and opportunities for development?

I certainly wouldn't call myself an Olympic rank rider. Not yet! To answer the question, I think Techarmps creates skateparks at a very high level and your facilities are besieged by skaters and non-skaters. A great example is the Warsaw indoor skatepark - AvePark. Everyone will find something for themselves there. You can graded the difficulty of tricks there, you will find various obstacles from small tubes to Doubleset and Kink rails.

Girls, skateboarding and Poland. How do you assess the situation of girls in our domestic backyard?

I think the women's skateboarding scene is in good hands. The level is really high. There used to be a handful of us, but recently skateboarding has been heavily popularized. This can be seen especially at the skateboard camp where I work. There used to be 5 of us girls at the Woodcamp camp, and last year about 50 came. I'm also happy to see girls of all ages skateboarding, and that our community brings generations together.

Why is it important for women in skateboarding to integrate more often and form teams. Who is your favorite female skateboarder or what was the squad of your dream women's skateboarding session?

My favorite female skateboarders are: Momiji Nishija, Alexis Sablone, Sammaria Brevard and Nora Vasconcellos. Dream board session? I think I'd like to ride at overseas spots again with my old Polish team ShakeYourBoard. We once went to Paris together for a 10-day skate-trip and I have only good memories from there. I would love to do it again, with the same group, of course, the utopian version would be if my favorite skateboarders from abroad joined us, but it would probably be logistically difficult to arrange.

How would you like to encourage girls to try their hand at skateboarding?

If you don't skate, don't start. And seriously, if you don't try, you'll never know what it feels like. Everyone says that the worst thing to do is to start, it's true, but everyone has gone through it at some point before reaching a certain level. Don't be discouraged, it's best to find friends with whom you can share the activity together and motivate each other. If it's hard with that at your place, maybe some skateboard school near you, or a trip to a skateboard camp during the summer. The important thing is willingness and patience with this piece of wood, once you get through the basics, it will only get better further!

Thank you for the interview and congratulations on joining the Nibiru Skateboards team!