The Grind: Fabiana Delfino

Believe it or not, being a pro skater can be a grind. Being a female pro skater, even more so.

Photography by Andrew Peters. 

Growing up in Florida, Fabiana Delfino didn’t have it easy breaking into the skate industry.  At a time when being a female skateboarder could get you ridiculed out of the skatepark, Fabiana pushed through on her own terms, even if it meant she was the only girl around. And if anything, these hurdles actually made Fabi skate harder since she had to compare herself—and her tricks—to the boys.

‘I remember when I began going to the skatepark, I kinda just got used to being the only girl. And kinda the youngest one, too.’

‘Really, this is like the first generation where women are getting paid… I wanna make a point that we can do the same shit that the guys are doing.’

‘We picked up the video games, and I remember seeing Elissa Steamer on the intro. That was the first and only girl skater I had seen. I didn’t have to customize long haired boy with pink hair and a pink board. It was just a fucking girl.’

‘Battling for a trick is like do or die mentality. If I have a trick in mind and I get it without falling or eating shit, or if I get it too quick, I almost feel like it’s not usable.’

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