A short skate film called “The Girls of Guanabara” is a mesmerizing clip that showcases the dance-like skateboarding moves of four women as they ride their longboards and do tricks on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. This style of longboard skateboarding previously garnered attention when videos of South Korean skater Hyoojoo Ko went viral a several years ago. Her videos revealed a style of skateboard “dancing” that was fluid and elegant. It was so visually compelling that it struck a chord and influenced young women skaters around the world. The “Guanabara Girls” have had a similar influence. Their longboarding technique, like Ko’s, is a sub-discipline of “freestyle” that involves cross-stepping, body-spinning, and walking up and down the length of the board while it’s in motion. The clip is by filmmaker Brett Novak in collaboration with Rio-based Guanabara Skateboards.
GLOBAL GRAPHICA 