Toronto Girls Longboarding is a community of girls united by their common love of the longboard. If you’re curious, you can drop by and see them practice every Wednesday & Thursday evening at Christie Pits skating rink. We spoke with one of TGL’s founders, Melissa Lee, this week.

SDTC: What’s up with the poop references?  

ML: Pooping is referencing a nickname for a popular skate spot in Toronto called “Poop Chute.” It’s located next to a water treatment plant and on hot breezy days, it’s basically a wind tunnel of sewer air, hence the nickname. Pooping is a very Toronto-centric thing and is exclusively used in reference to the particular location.

Longboarding vs. skateboarding: which is better?

I mean, there isn’t really too much of a difference between the two. Longboards are literally just longer skateboards with bigger wheels and trucks, which makes it safer to go faster. You could argue longboards are more versatile (for everything from commuting, bombing 80km/h hills, to longboard dancing), but longboards are very inefficient at doing skateboard tricks or bowl skating. A lot of people in the community double dip and longboarders still call themselves “skaters.” The real difference in my opinion is their attitude towards safety. If you were a skateboarder, you probably wouldn’t be caught dead in a helmet or knee/elbow pads. As a longboarder, a helmet is almost always mandatory.

How many women are in your collective?

The Toronto Girls Longboarding page currently has 1.7k likes on Facebook and 400 followers on Instagram – and is steadily growing. There are about 20 or so “regulars” who organize and come out to meets and events. We’re always excited to help out newcomers and spread the love of boarding.

If I get a longboard, what should I try to master first? 

If you were to get a longboard, I’d highly suggest coming to the Christie Pits skating rink on either Wednesday or Thursday evenings. It’s a very safe, flat area where you can learn the basics (stance, pushing, foot breaking, carving).

When/where is your next meetup?

There are events happening in Toronto every week. Wednesdays and Thursdays are Christie Pits days, and people generally call meets a few days beforehand to different locations around the city. The official meetup of Toronto Girls Longboarding is FUBU V, held on August 27th and 28th (more info here).

What made you get into longboarding initially? Most impressive trick?

Personally I got into longboarding a couple years ago because my friends were really into longboarding and it got very boring very quickly to just sit on the side of the road watching them have fun. And the most impressive trick I can do is a 360 no scope.