Female skateboarders from Montreal show some flair and a film to promote their sport

LEWISTON – Although he’s only been skating a few months, Nick Whitten knows cool.

That’s why he asked for a pen to get the autographs of some visiting skateboarders from Montreal.

“They’re good skaters,” said the 14-year-old Lincoln Street resident. “And they’re pretty cool.”

The object of his admiration: Skirtboarders, an all-female group of boarders who demonstrated their moves at the city skate park Saturday before greeting fans at the premier of their movie, “Skirtboarders, le film.”

“This is very welcoming,” said a smiling Mathilde Pigeon, skater and filmmaker, to a raucous group of about 70 people gathered in the Lewiston library for the film’s premier. “It’s really surprising to see so many girls show up. That’s exactly the goal we have by roadtripping and making the video. It’s possible if you keep on trying.”

Pigeon, the 26-year-old daughter of famed Quebecois folk musician and dancer Benoit Bourque, was surrounded by her posse, Margaux Walker, Julie Levesque and Anne-Sophie Julien. The foursome was beaming – in part from the reception of the film, and in part from the 40 minutes they skated beforehand.

The free demonstrations were slated for 3 and 6 p.m. in Kennedy Park. As a courtesy, the 15 or so skateboarding boys in the park at the first demo stopped to let the Skirtboarders strut their stuff. But the visitors were uneasy having the entire park to themselves and after about 10 minutes of flips, fakies and ollies, invited everyone to join them.

Soon, the steady whir of wheels and the occasional scrape of skin against concrete was all anyone could hear. The Skirtboarders were only distinguished by the flash of earrings or the flip of a ponytail. And by Pigeon, who demonstrated her filming technique by holding her camera low while she skated alongside her friends.

“I think they’re really cool,” said Angel Swearingen, 11, of Auburn, who’s been skateboarding for about four years. Her friends, Gabby Dunn and Marissa Fernald, invited her to come watch the demo.

The three girls said it’s a little intimidating to take up skateboarding when it’s so dominated by boys.

“But I think if girls try, they can beat boys,” said Angel, with Gabby and Marissa nodding in agreement.

It’s that kind of confidence that the film tries to encourage, said Pigeon. Four years in the making, it captures female street skaters in Montreal as they ride stair railings and curbs, or sail over steps and benches.

The film, shot in a montage of styles including grainy Super 8 black and white (“the same as Charlie Chaplin used,” said Pigeon), doesn’t pull any punches. There’s a whole section of spectacular spills and falls that elicited spontaneous “ouches” from the audience.

“When girls fall, they fall differently than guys,” said Pigeon, who noted no one was seriously hurt from their missed moves. “Our center of balance is different and we seem to always fall on our butts and guys, they fall forward and roll.”

The group started informally as five or six girl skateboarders began to hang out and skate together. Over the years, the group has grown to about 20.

But it wasn’t until Pigeon made her film that they named themselves and even set up a Web site, www.skirtboarders.com, to encourage other girls to take up the sport.

And impress a boy or two.

As Nick Whitten left the library hall, his T-shirt had a new logo.

“I Love U Nick – Margo.”