Photos: Chinese female longboarder rides into online fame

A growing group of young women in China are posting videos of their longboarding adventures -- tens of thousands of views on individual clips is the norm -- giving the sport an unprecedented level of exposure. With over half a million followers on social media, twenty-one-year-old Mu Qing is one of longboarding's biggest stars in China.

Updated on: Mar 09, 2019 4:54 PM IST

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Longboarder Mu Qing poses with her board in Chengdu. 21-year-old Mu is among a new generation of female longboarders in China. With over half a million followers on social media, she is one of longboarding’s biggest stars in the country. (Fred Dufour / AFP)

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Chinese girls ride longboards in Beijing. Mu is among a growing group of young women in China posting videos of their boarding adventures -- tens of thousands of views on individual clips is the norm -- giving the sport an unprecedented level of exposure. (Fred Dufour / AFP)

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Mu poses with her board in Chengdu. The rise of the sport mirrors a similar trend in the West where the #girlscanride hashtag has gained popularity on social media, with many posting pictures of traditionally male-dominated sports like dirt biking, skateboarding and BMX. (Fred Dufour / AFP)

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On Douyin, which allows users to post 15-second video clips, Mu puts up footage of herself riding around Chengdu performing stunts -- twirling on and off her board -- and even outtakes where she falls off. Her most popular videos attract millions of views. (Fred Dufour / AFP)

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“In the beginning, I thought (longboarding) was something that only delinquents would be involved in but after I met another female skater, I realised that the sport is not limited to gender,” Mu said. (Fred Dufour / AFP)

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Mu takes the subway with her board. Most of Mu’s skating videos are in a style known as “longboard dancing”. Many of her fans from across the country are young and female. (Fred Dufour / AFP)

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Mu sits with her board on a bus. Bigger and easier to manoeuver than a skateboard, longboarders say it allows for a smoother and more comfortable ride, many using it in their daily commutes. (Fred Dufour / AFP)

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Mu and her friends pose for a picture in Chengdu. Ten, a 17-year-old longboarder based in Beijing, is inspired by Mu.“I am following her style (of skating) now, because I have seen her video, it feels that her style is relatively smooth, unlike someone who also falls off the board,” she says. (Fred Dufour / AFP)

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A Chinese girl rides a longboard in Beijing. With skateboarding set to make its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and break-dancing to be added to the programme in 2024, what was once seen as a niche subculture is gradually entering the mainstream. (Fred Dufour / AFP)