Born in the beautiful Sonoran region of Mexico, Norma Ibarra fell in love with British Columbia during a post graduate exchange english program. Combining her love for adventure, her education, and her skill with photography she has carved out a niche role specializing in tourism social media marketing. The Mexican-Canadian photographer has traveled across the globe, capturing young women and girls (men too) as they prove that skateboarding is a form of art and community. Her work spotlights skateboarders in British Columbia, Mexico, San Francisco, Cuba and villages in India on the Girl Skate India tour. Meanwhile she is pushing the skate scene in her home country of Mexico and in Cuba where she has donated boards to local kids and hosted skate sessions for girls.
What do you hear when you start talking about the female skateboarding scene around the world? Encouraging and powerful stories. The community is growing, evolving, and changing the industry. Female skaters are no longer considered afterthoughts. All women skate crews are now found almost anywhere. Girls who skate are turning into pros and they are trying to balance out the once male-dominated sport. A lot of collective effort still has to be done. But I am happy to see progress.
Currently she manages and implements social media programs and campaigns for BC Bike Race, Mountain Biking BC, Destination BC, and Hootsuite. When Norma moved to Canada she found that volunteering was the best way to build her new community and, while she’s now lived in Canada for 7 years, she is still actively involved with non-profit organizations including the North Shore Mountain Bike Association, Chill Foundation and the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition. Living her passions is important for Norma, which is why when she’s not at her computer you’ll find her either on the trails of the North Shore mountains or on her skateboard downtown Vancouver.
Check out her website to view her complete portfolio and support this amazing woman.