The Project Scope:

Shred Collective is an LGBTQ2S+/femme all ages, beginner friendly skateboard crew based in Victoria BC. Founded in 2017 by Carla Hyslop originally as ‘Ladies of Shred’, the group aims to develop women empowerment and to create safe spaces in the park for girls. Over the years, it has grown & evolved to encompass more than just ‘ladies’, and in 2021 rebranded to ‘Shred Collective’, focusing on inclusion for all gender identities.

Shred Collective gave me the courage to start learning to skateboard, and step into a skatepark for the first time. I felt such support from this group of inspirational people who quickly became close friends. Volunteering my services, I wanted to help get the word out about this amazing group and make skateboarding more accessible to other beginners who might feel nervous to try skateboarding on their own.

Throughout Covid-19, in-person meetups continued to present a challenge. With restrictions constantly fluctuating, we looked at alternative ways to maintain a sense of togetherness & community for learning.

We decided to create virtual skate lesson mini series through social media, & engaging the community through this trick trip series.

Once the lockdowns passed and we were able to meet in person again, we ran a postering campaign in downtown Victoria, spreading the word through Vic Posters. This helped us to gain new members & promote the summer schedule - we ended up having our biggest turn out ever with over 50 folks showing up to the skatepark!