Identity

The Woman Who Uses Skateboarding to Build Friendships

An LA native, Briana moved to New York a year ago under rough circumstances. She knew very few people and after accepting an invitation from a friend on Instagram to hang out at a local skate park, she decided to take up skateboarding. “I started skating to get my mind off of all the bad shit,” she says. “Because when you’re skating you literally can’t think of anything else, or else you’re done.”

Over the past year, her passion for the sport transformed her: Skateboarding began to fuel her creativity and ultimately helped her find herself and her tribe. She attributes her sense of belonging to her love for skateboarding and the connection she feels to herself while on the board.

Videos by VICE

Boardly is a video series that spotlights women from all walks of life who share one thing in common: a passion for skateboarding that has shaped who they are in equally different, yet unique ways. Created with Vans.