Behind the lens: Kathleen Hayes

Kathleen was given her first camera at five years old—it was a plastic Bugs Bunny 126 film camera—and has been shooting photos ever since. Inspired by punk rock, the sea, the LGBT community and skate culture, the New York based photographer captures the good times at women’s skate gatherings that bring together ladies of shred at perfect backyard bowls and DIYs.

What’s the story behind Slash Camp? How did it start and what makes it such a special event?
Slash Camp was started a few years ago by Ashley Mott of Bad Egg Skate Zine. It’s an awesome gathering of like-minded and amazing ladies from all over the country and beyond, who share a love for skateboarding. Some of the women even flew out from Canada and Australia. Lots of badass skate moms too. It’s all levels, but most are seasoned rippers. The trip I went on was in the outskirts of Denver. We hit up a bunch of public parks and backyards, caravanning all around the area. A lot of the girls camped along the way and we also built a DIY skate obstacle at one of the homes we skated at.

Do you have any particularly funny or memorable stories from Slash Camp?
The funniest story I have is actually from The SESH, our East Coast ladies trip in the Carolinas last summer organized by Shannon Smith and Tamra Church. The drunken sharing of c-section scars around 2am at the Skate Barn, initiated by Chelsea Greene, was pretty hilarious. While I was outnumbered by skater ladies who had given birth, I was stoked to be able to participate in the bikini-cut-scar show-and-tell with my own surgical scar from an ovarian cyst. That was some major female bonding.

Jean Rusen, f/s indy grab. Fairplay CO 2016. Kathleen Hayes — Jean Rusen, f/s indy grab. Fairplay CO 2016. Photo: Kathleen Hayes

What is your background in photography?
I got my BFA in photography from SVA in 1997 when it was all film and darkroom based. I recently entered the digital age and got a masters degree in digital photography a few years ago where I documented middle-aged skate culture for my thesis project.

Do you think being a skateboarder has influenced your overall photographic style?
Definitely! The best things to photograph are things you’re obsessed with. I love documenting my skateboarding world and the friends I’ve made who inhabit it. Photography also fills the void when I’m injured and can’t skate. Sometimes I even look forward to a bowl being too gnarly for me, or a session being heavier than I can handle, because then I get to shoot photos without having to choose between taking pictures and skating.

Skate Camper. Fairplay CO 2016. Kathleen Hayes — Skate Camper. Fairplay CO 2016. Photo: Kathleen Hayes

What do you think makes the East Coast skate scene so special?
My favorite thing about skating on the East Coast is the time spent in my friend’s backyards. Especially in New England. Cookouts and skating with the 5.9 crew is the most special to me.

In terms of women’s skateboarding, do you think there’s a difference between the East and West Coast scenes?
On the West Coast tons of females spanning all ages and generations skate. The weather’s great year round, they have more places to skate, and more opportunities to skate consistently and advance their skills. It also seems a lot more competitive. The East Coast is more mellow. Many of us lady skaters are still the minority at a spot. However, the population of girls in their 20s skating on the East Coast is booming. Especially here in NYC. It’s exciting to watch the comradery and progression of these young female rippers and the size of their skate crews growing. Female skaters my age are still a rare breed though. We’re more spread out all over the East Coast. Some of us are lucky to have a couple women our age in our areas. Many of us have to make road trips to skate with each other. That’s why I’m grateful for women’s trips like Slash Camp and our East Coast SESH from last summer, which bring the ladies together from all over.