Being one of the few female riders in her early days presented its own hurdles. “It was more of a problem when I first started, being the only girl at the skate park.”
Ruth Tomlin’s journey into the world of professional scootering began with her riding a “rubbish kids scooter” at her local skate park.
“I always remember coming to the skate park with my rubbish kids scooter and I think it really took off from there.” She recalls.
It was her best friend, who had a scooter designed for stunts, that sparked her curiosity in the sport and would tag along. Fascinated by the flips and tricks, and before long, she decided to give it a go herself.
Tomlin upgraded to her first proper scooter when she turned 13 and from that moment, there was no turning back. She said “It took off from there really and here I am.”
A statement that perfectly describes her trajectory from an enthusiastic beginner to a professional rider making waves in the sport. Her progression didn’t come overnight, but it came with determination and passion through self expression through scootering.
Social media has played a pivotal role in her journey. Growing up Tomlin would watch YouTubers who had thousands of followers while showcasing content she related to.
“From the start it (social media) was something I wanted to look into, growing up watching youtubers who had loads of followers. It was interesting how they could make videos about something that I was interested in.”
The path to professional scootering hasn’t been without its challenges, injuries are an inevitable part of the sport.
Ruth sees them as a source of resilience, “It’s always difficult to deal with injuries, but if anything, it makes you stronger. It will either make or break you. You have to decide actually this isn’t for me or I can’t wait to get back.”
For Ruth it has always been the latter, “I’m always here earlier than I should be” she admits, further demonstrating her dedication.
Now you see a lot more girl riders, so there is less prejudice. If you ride a scooter, its cool
Tomlin values the community the sport has given her as much as the sport itself. “It’s a great community. I have friends all over the country, some all over the world. It’s the same with most sports, but you end up congregating with people who you probably would have never met.”
There is a strong emphasis on the enjoyment of the sport is how you last in this sport. She explains, “Most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing. Progression will come if you just enjoy your time. Not everyone can ride forever due to other priorities or injury and if you are enjoying what you are doing you cant go far wrong.”
Ruth Tomlin’s story is one of passion and community, from a humble beginning with a worn out scooter to standing out as a pro in a once male dominated sport.
