“I had never wanted to be a cheerleader, and I refused to be a “Betty,” which is the term for girls who hang out with skater guys and hold their boards and drinks while they work up a sweat. These “Bettys” watch with earnest interest while the boys tirelessly go round and round the park. They wait for the cool boys to look their way and give them a smile — a reward for being there. I have watched these young women sit and bake in the sun to witness their guy friends flip their boards up and down, twist and turn their bodies, and cuss and spit endlessly. It seems so clear to me that these young women are dying to laugh, skate, play on their own. They look at me with suspicion — why is she here? Is she here to steal our men or impress them? No, I was there to skate, to fall, to cuss and to learn something new or at least find a new place for a scab. The funny thing is that these young boys on boards are probably just as nervous and weirded out by someone watching them make mistakes and stumble over their boards. I think young women sometimes forget about the power they hold over men. I too enjoy watching people skate, watching young lean bodies work up a sweat trying to land a trick perfectly; but at some point, I have to get on the board myself.”

Soo Lee Young, Skate free or die, Salon.com