Karlie Thornton
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In this series, we are catching up with alumni leaders of Skate Like a Girl’s Skateboarding Inclusivity Cooperative (S.I.C.) Program, a partnership between Nike Made to Play, Converse Social and Community Impact and Nike SB. We catch up with froSkate founder Karlie Thornton and how the scene in Chicago not only energized her love for skateboarding but also encouraged her to step into a leadership role whilst learning the impact of building and sustaining a team.
Name, pronouns, and age?
My name is Karlie Thornton, my pronouns are she/her and I am 26 years old.
What organization do you represent? Where is it located? When did it start?
I represent froSkate out of Chicago, IL which started in 2019.
What S.I.C. Program Year were you a part of?
I was a part of the 2022 S.I.C. Cohort Year.
What inspired you to start skateboarding / how did you get into it?
What made me want to start skateboarding stemmed from hanging out with friends in middle school at an indoor place called Plan Nine. in St. Louis, MO. However, I never saw myself on a board until moving to Chicago. I started working at a small independent music label and became friends with more folks in Chicago’s skateboarding scene that helped me be re-introduced to the scene and culture. I didn’t see many girls skating so I immediately started inviting my own friends to learn alongside me - this made me realize how integral being around like-community was in the learning process.
What made you start your organization / what were the gaps in your community that you saw?
Once our inner group started growing, it became obvious to me that there needed to be a space for not only women in general but BIPOC women, queer, trans and/or nonbinary folks to cultivate within skateboarding in Chicago. This inspired the start of froSkate.
What is one big win from 2023?
Growing a team of 8 people! This is definitely thanks to all the mentorship I received within the S.I.C. Program. Kim Woozy and Sima Safavi-Bayat helped me step into becoming a better leader in the skateboarding community: how to better manage a team, how to navigate conflict, and how to lead with my best foot forward.
What is one piece of advice you would give your “younger” community leader self?
It is a bit hard to think about just one piece. If I were to choose one, it would be to have patience. Have patience with yourself, have patience with others, and have patience with the pace of the process. Have patience with the fact that you are growing in ways you may not expect - everything will be okay in the end.
What is something you have taken away from being part of the S.I.C. Cohort?
That you need to invest in a team to sustain success in community work. You can’t do it all on your own and it will take time but is so worth it!
What has been your favorite moment in skateboarding in the past few years?
Meeting so many incredible people! Being able to travel and cultivate that same sense of community in Chicago and apply it anywhere is really a testament to how skateboarding is such an amazing community of folks worldwide. It is truly so beautiful to see how similar we are no matter where we are from.
What would your Walk Out Song Be?
Something off of the Beyonce Renaissance album for sure…”Move”
