As has been observed elsewhere, the second most incredible thing about skateboarding after the activity itself is the people drawn into its orbit. Although that is not a particularly original observation, it doesn’t make it any less true.

The World Skateboarding Tour is a microcosm of that fact: if you were to put your hand out in front of you at a WST event and spin round, you might smack the grills of a teenager from the worst neighbourhood in South America; a millionaire’s kid with their own private skatepark; someone who grew up on an Eastern Bloc housing project; a Zambian model. That is not true of most activities, and is something surely worth celebrating. Skateboarding is democratic in a way hardly anything else in life is these days- another thing to applaud about our community.

So, with that said, step forward England’s Elizabeth ‘Lilly’ Strachan, from the largely rural parish of Oxfordshire- who just made it to the World Championship finals in Women’s Park at WST Ostia in September. It’s worth running that back: from a field of forty-nine entrants from Greece, Italy, Mexico, Czechia, Colombia, Austria, Sweden, China, France, Norway, Spain, Australia, Philippines, Canada- as well as the powerhouse trio of USA, Brazil and Japan- Lilly made it through to her first WST finals, having been an ever- improving presence on the Tour from WST San Juan through WST Dubai and the Olympic Qualifier Series up to this juncture in time.

It was not just the achievement in itself- enormous though it clearly is- but the manner in which she did so that made it such a moment.Returning to a Semifinal last-trick, last-run kickflip indy on the overhead-wave-like concrete deep-end of the Ostia park (featuring a waterfall in and out of there, too) she, in an absolute moment of truth, sailed into a new chapter in her ever-bigger skateboarding journey. A third member of the UK Women's Park team had just made a WST final; that’s quite a big deal- and the smile on the seventeen-year-old's face said as much.

In truth, this breakthrough has been building for some time for Lilly: her 8th place in the 2024 Park World Championship did her no harm in the WSR rankings, by bumping her up into 19th place. What that also means is that the UK now has three skaters in the WSR Top 20 in Women’s Park- the same as Spain, France and Germany combined. There’s something happening, here.

With those ripples continuing out beyond a subsequent second place at the UK Park Championships a few weeks later, we thought now would be a splendid moment to shine a little international light on a rising star of the World Skateboarding Tour.

Ph: Andrew Cleminson

Hi, Lilly- can you give us a snapshot of your life at this moment in time? Is 2024 wrapped for you, from an international competition perspective? 

Im just chilling at the moment; I’ve been travelling and competing almost every month this year- so it would be nice to stay in one place for a bit. But you never know with skating, something could come up last-minute and I’ll want to do it. Right now, I’m mainly trying to catch up on a bit of school- but I’m skating regularly and having fun with it. I love travelling, but I also love being at home and just skating the parks I’ve kinda grown up with.

Like a lot of young women in skateboarding today, the presence of a nearby skatepark was pivotal to you starting in the first instance- can you tell us a little bit about what it was like to be a total beginner in a culture like skateboarding? What were your formative experiences there?

My local park is Thame skatepark; skating there when I first started was pretty scary. Everything seemed massive and impossible, but when I watched all the older lads skate they made it look so easy. I guess I just thought, like- ‘Im going to try and do that’. I think that park also introduced me to transition skating, too- I would go and the street section would always be rammed, so I would pump around at the bottom of the bowl. Then, after a while, I could drop in and go fast. I didn’t really know what any of the baseline tricks were, because I kind of just looked at everyone skating and saw them look so comfortable on their boards. I just wanted to be able to ride a skateboard and go fast because it looked like the most fun, ever. After a while, I started watching YouTube tutorials for rock and rolls and axle stalls and stuff, and I started chatting to everyone at my local and they gave me trick suggestions.

Huge Indy Transfer, Italy. Ph: Kenji Haruta

When did you notice you were getting better faster than other skaters who started out around the same time as you?

I think I kind of stuck at it for longer. Most of my friends either stopped, or took breaks. Most of them still skate though, and they are super good. They all mostly skate street, though…

How aware were you of the history of women’s skating in the UK as you got further into it?

I started to go to different parks and I went to the girls’ night at BaySixty6 every month and met so many cool people. I’m pretty sure Sam Bruce organised it, I knew she was one of the first females to be sponsored and turn pro in the UK- so it was sick to be skating with her. I’ve learnt about Sue Hazel, too, she’s been in the scene since, like, the 1970’s and she’s a vert skater. I think that’s so cool- I want to know what her experiences were like… or if there were another girl skaters about. I’ve seen some of her clips and photos and they are super-cool.

Backside Air, Hungary Ph: Bryce Kanights

Your first 540 was a big landmark not just for you but for domestic British skateboarding, generally- where are you with them, now? 

I’ve had a bit of a mental block with trying them, this year. When I landed my first one, I’d been trying to do it for like three hours- so I was just tucking and hoping for the best. All these scooter kids showed up, and I was like ‘Right: I just have to get it done now before they go on the ramp’. I kind of just landed out of luck, I feel.  I went to Rome for a comp the week after, so when I got back I couldn’t remember the technique too well. I kind of got bored of spinning after a while, because I just didn’t feel confident- so I just moved onto other stuff like flip Indys. I’m starting to get the feel for them again now, though. 

A couple of World Championship-related questions: that kickflip indy you needed to make the finals- last trick, last run, you didn’t make it when you snuck in a warm-up right before- and then…talk us through that whole experience?

I was already so hyped to make it to Semifinals, but before my last run I was just thinking about how, after the comp, I’m going to be so annoyed if I don’t put this last run down. Sam Beckett said he would give me a packet of sweets if I landed it: I knew I could do the flip indy easily- even though I hadn’t done it in practice before then. As I was going up to it, I kind of just pretended I was on my home vert, and reminded myself that I’ve done this so many times before, in different places. I squatted out the landing so much- but I was so hyped when I landed it. I was stoked to put a run down with some of my hardest tricks in a competition like that, which I’ve been wanting to do for so long.  

Invert, Italy. Ph: Kenji Haruta

When you compare some of the Parks you have skated on the World Skateboarding Tour to what’s available in the UK for you to learn on, has that become a limiting factor for you and Lola at this point? Are you basically trying to learn from the moment you arrive, rather than adapt from what you already know?

It’s a bit frustrating, knowing I have a competition coming up which will be in a huge bowl with loads of obstacles, and not being able to practice my tricks on things like that beforehand. Concrete Waves in Cornwall is about the closest we’ve got to something like that. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to California and Spain and other places to skate some bowls, but going to competitions- especially Rome this year, I definitely tried to make the most of skating a bowl like that. I’ve definitely used some of the World Skate Tour bowls as learning experiences and just trying to get used to bowls like that. I do skate a lot of vert in Birmingham, which helps loads. 

I know there is a proposal to build a national indoor facility in the UK which would basically remove the advantage that the Americans have created for themselves with their San Diego facility- that seems like it would be a welcome development?

It’s definitely a welcome development for me, but I hope it just provides a bigger hub for skateboarding in the UK and doesn’t make things too serious. Hopefully, it just allows British skaters to progress their skating; it would be cool to have a facility similar to those abroad, so skaters can feel confident enough to compete internationally in big parks if they want to.

Back Smith, Budapest. Ph: Bryce Kanights

Lucy Adams floated the idea of a kind of Six-Nations or continental event series which would allow you guys to skate together with the other Europeans more frequently. What do you think about that idea?

That sounds so good. I’d love to skate with them all way more often outside competitions. The Spanish and French girls are rippers and super nice, so it would definitely be fun! 

You seem to enjoy the adventure side of travelling with the SBGB team- do you have any idea or dreams of where you would like skateboarding to go for you, or where do you future life ambitions lie?

Travelling with the team has been the most fun ever. I really want to keep travelling and skating new spots- Australia and South Africa and Japan are on my list, I think transition skating there is really good. I want to keep skating for a long time- so I’m just going to see where it takes me, I guess. I’d love to film some video parts and go on trips- and maybe be behind the camera a bit, and make something cool. 

Low-to-high Lien-to-tail, Hungary. Ph: Bryce Kanights

You're an avid book reader; it seems to me like a lot of people have forgotten the pleasure of reading for its own sake. What do you think, there? Can you recommend us your three favourite stone-cold classics so far?

Yeah- I think people say they hate reading, but they just haven’t found the right book for themselves and their current situation. I go through phases of reading like four a month and then I won’t read for two months because I’m really busy, or I’ve found something else to keep me entertained for a bit in between skating and school. My favourites so far are The Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger, Just Kids by Patti Smith and Norwegian Wood by Murakami. I read those all while I was travelling, and they have good memories attached to them!

We always finish by handing you the imaginary microphone: floor’s yours, what would you like to say?

I’d like to say a big thank you to my Dad, Mum, grandparents, family and friends for supporting me constantly.

And of course everyone at Skateboard GB! Big love to you all!