'People's main source of joy, stress release, therapy': Chicago's FroSkate brings together young people in a fun, safe space
CHICAGO (CBS) -- "A lot of people use skating as an outlet. That's a lot of people's main source of joy, stress release, therapy even," said Karlie Thornton, founder of Chicago-based community organization, FroSkate.
For FroSkate, mental health and skateboarding are inextricably intertwined. That's why they host mental health-focused meetups around the city, encouraging their members, and new skaters alike, to come out and work through their trauma on a skateboard.
"It's really just like an outlet for if you're upset or had a really busy day and you just want to get outside and be active— and kind of just take your mind off of what else is going on in the world," said Thornton
"Skating has really kept me grounded…It's really helped me learn more about my physicality: how I carry myself. [And] how that impacts experiences on the board, but also off the board," said Sierra Jackson, a member of FroSkate attending the meet-up.
The meetup this week was a collaborative effort with Miami-based skateboarding collective TutiFruti. Isabella Ostos, one of TutiFruti's founders, began skating with Froskate several years prior. When they moved out of state, they didn't want to leave skating behind and started another collective with a similar mission.
"There's been research that shows the correlation between skateboarding and overcoming trauma. Because skateboarding as a sport, it allows you to— it allows your brain to rewire your thought patterns," said Ostos
"It's really interesting because in a sport like skateboarding, you're constantly meeting yourself with these emotional blocks. And it's like, you have the opportunity to constantly be put in these situations where you have to stop…and train your brain to trust yourself. And train your brain to trust others," said Ostos.
"Being super risky is scary, it's daunting. It's not like what we're necessarily groomed to do as women. To get injured or just be out and about. And I think skateboarding allows you certain freedom where you have to do that," said Jackson.
Members said FroSkate provides a safe space for skaters of all levels. There's a distinct emphasis on community, giving the group a tight-knit and welcoming ethos.
"FroSkate's mission in general centers the BIPOC, femme, queer, trans, non-binary communities. We just want to make sure we're including a lot of the people who might not have felt seen in skateboarding before. It's just a chance for non-traditional skaters of all backgrounds, identities, skill levels, and wheels to come together, find community, enjoy themselves, learn new things and just skate together," said Thornton.
"I feel like, without the community, I would feel a sense of a little loss. I feel like the community has helped me cope with a lot of issues that I've been able to relate with a lot of the women and LGBTQ Community here in Chicago. It just makes me feel like I have a place where I belong," said FroSkate member, Bella Garcia.
"Not only do you have skating, but you also have like-minded individuals. They're people who are sharing similar life experiences as you. You have people who genuinely want to see you win and see you have joy and wanna cheer you on and laugh with you and just talk to you about how you're even doing," said Thornton.
