Drop in - by Deborah Stoll (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Who gets to tell the story of skateboarding? Drop In is the first book to recognize and historicize the female, queer, bi, and nonbinary humans who blazed the path that led to today's more equitable skate culture. It wasn't easy getting here. Like the rest of the world, skateboarding has long been patriarchal. In the 70s, it personified the punk rock, lock-up-your-daughters, middle-finger-to-the-man ethos. In the 80s, it was Miami Vice soundtracks and parachute pants, neon graphics and fingerless gloves. In the 90s, it was New York City-graffiti, hip-hop, and skating in the street. Rarely did you see a woman's name in a skate video-either on a deck or behind the lens. The four skateboarders at the heart of Drop In defied expectations of gender, talent, physical ability, and mental capacity to fight the status quo: Alana as the first openly nonbinary athlete in Olympic history; Vanessa as a record breaking runaway; Marbie as an accidental boundary-breaking trans icon; and Victoria as the skate rookie turned social media sensation. Drop In spotlights their paths from rebellious outsiders to recognized pioneers on the historic stage of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where skateboarding made its debut. Their experiences reveal a side of skateboarding that's never been recorded, amplifying voices that have, for too long, gone unheard"--

Book Synopsis

The bad*ss story of the female, queer, bi, and nonbinary skaters who charted a path to the Olympics and changed the face of skateboarding.

Who gets to tell the story of skateboarding? Drop In is the first book to recognize and historicize the female, queer, bi, and nonbinary humans who blazed the path that led to today's more equitable skate culture. It wasn't easy getting here.

Like the rest of the world, skateboarding has long been patriarchal. In the 70s, it personified the punk rock, lock-up-your-daughters, middle-finger-to-the-man ethos. In the 80s, it was Miami Vice soundtracks and parachute pants, neon graphics and fingerless gloves. In the 90s it was New York City--graffiti, hip-hop, and skating in the street. Rarely did you see a woman's name in a skate video--either on a deck or behind the lens.

The four skateboarders at the heart of Drop In defied expectations of gender, talent, physical ability, and mental capacity to fight the status quo: Alana as the first openly nonbinary athlete in Olympic history; Vanessa as a record breaking runaway; Marbie as an accidental boundary-breaking trans icon; and Victoria as the skate rookie turned social media sensation. Drop In spotlights their paths from rebellious outsiders to recognized pioneers on the historic stage of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where skateboarding made its debut. Their experiences reveal a side of skateboarding that's never been recorded, amplifying voices that have, for too long, gone unheard.

Review Quotes

"Descriptive, accessible, energetic, and at times scathing and unfiltered ... This title is a worthy addition for your own library, providing evidence for how skateboarding is evolving to become a more inclusive community and some of the epic battles and adversity that non-traditional skaters have faced and overcome." -- Skate Book Club

"This book will appeal to anyone who has ever felt like they didn't belong and will give hope to aspiring skaters." -- Booklist

"Exhilarating...Deborah Stoll introduces readers to the 'gender rebels' who have blazed a trail in the male-dominated world of skateboarding all the way to the Olympics...a must read. -- Tag24

"...Stoll's finely observed portraits will have readers rooting for the four skaters as they reshape the sport in their own image. This sticks the landing with flair and poise." -- Publishers Weekly

"Drop In is a must-read for anyone dedicated to fighting for equality; it's a cultural road map about refusing to accept the status quo, no matter your gender, identity, or race." -- Billie Jean King, Sports Icon and Champion of Equality