Skateboarding memories and social (in)cohesion

Mediated subcultural memory and “grey” belonging

Bibliographic Data

ID17818636
AuthorsDag Balkmar (0000-0002-5268-8957, Örebro University, corresponding author), Jono Van Belle (0000-0001-6152-5618, Örebro University)
Year2026
Volume8
Issue1
Pages99-116
Publication date2026-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNordic Journal of Media Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2003-184X • E-ISSN: 2003-184X
PublisherDe Gruyter (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.2478/njms-2026-0006
OpenAlexW7160048675
LanguageEN
References cited42

In this article, we investigate how Swedish ageing male and female skateboarders construct their subcultural past, present, and future, and how this is mediated. We are especially interested in how research participants use niche media and negotiate the subculture’s images of risk and youth. We pay special attention to how cultural memory is embodied, including how gendered and aged bodies matter in negotiating subcultural memory and belonging. Building on previous work on age in skateboarding culture (O’Connor, 2018), the findings suggest that “grey” practitioners may use their temporal capital not only to negotiate their belonging to the subculture but also to represent an evaluative gaze from the past. Media play a defining role, ranging from connecting to the community to creating and communicating subcultural values in “older” media, such as print magazines and niche VHS tapes, to fostering a more inclusive scene through self-produced video materials depicting practitioners

Cultural capital · Gaze · Memory work · Negotiation · Social capital · Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking · Outdoor and Experiential Education · Sports, Gender, and Society

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Open DOIOpen Access