Skateboarding memories and social (in)cohesion: Mediated subcultural memory and “grey” belonging

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.