Norma Ibarra You might recognize Norma from her rap cameo in the Skate Witches “Srsly” video or her starring role in Alana Paterson’s “Slam By Me” film. A woman of many talents (clearly), Norma also holds it down behind the lens. In 2009 Norma moved from her hometown in Mexico to Vancouver, Canada, and has spent time on the road documenting the struggling, yet passionate, skate scenes in places like Cuba and India. What came first for you, skateboarding or photography? And how did the two come together? Photography has always been part of my life. My mom used to shoot and she gave me her camera when I was 15, so I was always the one taking photos of my friends. I have a thing for documenting my friends and the memories we share together so when I started skateboarding, I started shooting my new skateboarding friends. At some point I noticed that not many people documented the girls so I made that a little personal project. I love street and travel photography but right now I really want to document skateboarding. I think we are in a very interesting time for women but also for the whole scene, with it being considered a sport. In the future I want to be able to have a little archive so people can look back and say, “Remember when...” and so that all of my friends can look back and have timeless memories.
You were part of the Girls Skate India Tour this year. What was the highlight of the trip? For me, it was living with an Indian family and learning about their culture, the food, the language, and all the times shared with them. At the time I was coming back from an injury so I was not able to skate, but meeting the other skaters that came on that trip and sharing all the memories together is something I will keep in my heart forever. Planting the seed of skateboarding to young girls was super touching as well. I am planning to go back to visit my new Indian family and can’t wait to skate the spots we visited. You’ve spent a lot of time skating and shooting in poverty stricken areas. What impact do you think skateboarding has in these places? Besides skateboarding being such a fun activity, the inclusivity of it has a lot of impact. It doesn’t matter who you are,
