By: Belen Guerrero @belenggomez
Whoever said that women could not practice extreme sports obviously was wrong.
Throughout history, women around the world have proven to be the stronger sex in different areas of everyday life. Starting with giving birth, having multiple careers, they also achieve political office or managerial positions in a company, and obtain sports medals awards.
In Ecuador we also have those kinds of examples: Manuela Saenz, considered “the Liberator’s libertator (Simon Bolivar)” for her foray into politics and her unwavering support to Bolivar; then, Matilde Hidalgo who was the first Ecuadorian woman to be BS exercise the right to vote. In sport, we have Yolanda Quimbita (marathon), Mariuxi Febres Cordero (Swimming), Ana Maria Ycaza (tennis), Carmen Chalá (judo), and many more which has made a difference in our society.
Women make a difference. That is the reason why we interviewed Ana Luz Cuesta, a 21 year old art student and an innate athlete.
For over a year Anita decided to buy a longboard, because she liked to skate and was determined to improve in this sport. After a while, she met some guys who become her friends and hobby partners. Since that time, Anita began practicing and gradually improved her moves and developed a unique style.
But how and why she was drawn to this sport in particular? She explains it by describing what she feel when she is skating on a downhill or a curve. Of course, is necessary to say that Anita is an adventure and risk lover.
“It is delicious. It is astounding reach the moment where you manage to feel the street and the skateboarding. The pressure you do to the carb and slide, make me feel like I’m flowing (…), “says Anita, who also explains that one of the riskiest things she have done practicing Longboard is making downhill, which is go down to very high hills on high levels of speed (from 70 km/h to 100km/h).
“Once you got the beat of this sport, it becomes part of your life. It really becomes a kind of addiction. There are days you have to skate because your body needs it (…) “.
Following that Anita was more involved in this sport, she discovered a Longboard Crew worldwide and that in several countries there are conforming groups of women to practice Longboard. After soaking up the subject, Anita decided to form the first Girl Longboard Crew of Ecuador with the aim of encouraging women to make a daring sport, fun and competitive.
“My enthusiasm to create it was to show the girls (what Longboard is about) and how excited skating could be. It is something really easy and super fun.”
Currently there are few girls, but hope to enlarge the number of the group. Girls are constantly concerned with the initiative to start practicing this sport and be part of the crew. Anita, meanwhile, has offered herself to teach them.
