Meet the Bolivian female skateboarders bringing Andean culture to the halfpipe

When Peruvian photographer Celia D’Luna traveled to Cochabamba, Bolivia in March 2022, she wasn’t quite sure what to expect. She had exchanged Instagram messages with ImillaSkate, an all-female skateboarding collective, and wanted to photograph them for a series about Andean women in male-dominated fields like wrestling and rock climbing. But none of them had ever met in person before, and there was a good chance it wouldn’t come together. “I went to Bolivia out of conviction,” says D’Luna.

D’Luna, who has traditionally focused on fashion and portrait photography, was interested in presenting ImillaSkate for a number of reasons. They’re great skaters, yes, but they’ve also traveled all over Bolivia teaching other women their skills – and they don’t compromise on who they are. “I was intrigued because they play an extreme sport that’s usually male-dominated, and they add their heritage by wearing traditional clothing,” she says. “As a Peruvian from Ayacucho, in the Andes, I see myself in it.”

A friendship blossomed after ImillaSkate and D’Luna met over a hearty plate of pique macho. The team shot for a week. D’Luna captured her nailing tricks; Pair Vans slippers with traditional bollard skirts; and sharing a sense of camaraderie and pride in their culture that moved them.

“Where I’m from in Peru, cholita is a derogatory term, mostly used to put someone down,” says D’Luna. “So when I saw in Bolivia that it’s totally different, proud to be a cholita, proud to be a luchadora, I wanted to show that. Most Peruvians are cholas, cholos, and we should be proud of who we are and the color of our skin.” A year on from filming, that sentiment feels more relevant than ever, adds D’Luna, given the current outcry in Peru against inequality and racism towards indigenous Andean peoples.

Below, D’Luna reflects on her time with the ImillaSkaters – and her work in changing the face of skating in South America.

Celia D Luna

Celia D Luna

“As soon as I saw Belen Fernandez I thought she might be a model. She was a little hard on herself for not landing tricks. She was one of the newer members, and she almost didn’t make it through the day of filming — she had a busy life, she said, busy, but once she got there, we had a good time.

Skateboards aren’t as common as they are in the United States, and getting one in Bolivia is a little harder. Since their plan is to share skateboarding with other people, they want to raise money to buy skateboards for other girls. If I were ever to sell prints of these photos, I would happily donate to this effort. People can also DM them on Instagram to contribute. ”

Celia D Luna

Celia D Luna

“Zusan Meza, on the left, was so funny, so adorable and lively, and she was all about the camera. You could tell she was like the flirtatious Coqueta. For me it was the juxtaposition of pollera skirt and socks. She loved her socks and said we had to show them off. She also wore her hat when skateboarding and it didn’t want to fall off – it was the same for everyone, I don’t know how they did it.