Samantha Bache offers a new perspective on the Falmouth skate scene

The photo project began during lockdown when Samantha would skate every day, no matter the weather. “Even when it was raining we would find a bit of ground undercover or even carpet boarding.”

Samantha’s photos document the in-between moments while skateboarding with her friends. She isn’t interested in shooting the big tricks or the best skaters. “I started off photographing my friends and then plucked up the courage to ask skaters I didn’t know if I could photograph them,” she explains.

Samantha was born in Birmingham but studies in Falmouth, Cornwall. Most of the photos for her project were taken in car parks because there isn’t a skate park in her town, despite having a big local skate community. “The University brings in thousands of new students every year, many of which are skaters too. So Falmouth is bursting with skaters that have no skate park close by.” Traffic cones and concrete blocks are popular obstacles.

“Before the pandemic, the University Club ‘Falmouth Boardriders’ hosted a lot of skate events and film nights, that’s how I met a lot of my friends at first. When the pandemic hit we had to diversify.” With a travel ban in place, Samantha encouraged her housemate, Lizzie, to start skateboarding.  Now she is also hooked and they skate together every day. Their crew has since expanded to also include Thais, Flo, Poppy, India, Joanna, Jenna, Adam, and Tristan. During a time that has been incredibly socially isolating, Samantha has found solace with her skate crew. She explains, “It’s nice because we are all kind of at the same stage and we help and encourage each other to get better.”

For her previous university project, Samantha focused on the female gaze, so taking her place as a female photographer in the male-dominated world of skateboarding was a natural progression. “When I began I wasn’t aware of any females that photographed skateboarding. There are a few, but tiny in comparison to males in skate photography. I wanted to address that and show what skateboarding means to me and the wider female skate community.”

Article: Sarah Huston
Photos: Samantha Bache