Erfan skateboards down Valiasr street in Tehran. He rides in front of the portraits of Khomeini and Khamenei, The Supreme Leaders of the Islamic Republic. Tehran, Iran, October 23, 2015.

Young Iranians skateboard down Valiasr Street in the north of Tehran on September 21, 2015.

In Ab-o-Atash skatepark, a woman watches the boys practicing. Tehran, Iran, September 21, 2015.

The portraits of the Supreme Leaders on the wall of Tsixty skate shop in Tehran, Iran, on September 20, 2015. In Iran, these portraits are not obligatory, but still present in almost all shops. Managers who want to avoid trouble display them.

Neda the only skater girl in Tabriz practices in a park. Tabriz, Iran, October 20, 2015.

Three skater girls wearing mandatory veils and long sleeves in front of a half-pipe in Kerman, Iran, on October 4, 2015.

Hossein, 18 years old, skateboarder from Yazd, Iran, on October 1, 2015.

A group of skateboarders from Tehran stop near Yazd to ride on roads through the Iranian mountain landscape. Yazd, Iran, October 1, 2015.

Erfan is towed by a horse-drawn carriage on Naghsh-e Jahan square in Isfahan, Iran, on September 28, 2015.

Mohammad, 23 years old, skateboarder from Kerman. Kerman, Iran, October 4, 2015.

Kimia, 16 years old, skater girl from Kerman, in a public park where she used to practice. Kerman, Iran, October 3, 2015.

Young Iranians skateboards on Naghsh-e Jahan square in Isfahan, Iran, on September 28, 2015.

Erfan and Arian sleep on Persian rugs. Arian uses a skateboard as a pillow. Isfahan, Iran, September 28, 2015.

Nima, Mohamad and Arian play with a skateboard without wheels on a persian rug in an apartment in Isfahan, Iran, on September 29, 2015.

In the forest near Ramsar, Erfan takes a selfie with a cow. Ramsar, Iran, October 18, 2015.

In south of Tehran, Ashkan performs a skate trick in front of a gigantic mural representing the ayatollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution. Tehran, Iran, October 24, 2015.

Erfan skates in the Grand Bazaar which is empty on Fridays. Tehran, Iran, September 24, 2015.

Erfan and Sajad smoke a cigarette during a skateboard session in the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, Iran, on September 24, 2015.

Habib lights a fire while his little brother Mahdi skateboards the ditch. Tabriz, Iran, October 21, 2015.

Mahdi, 16 years old, skateboarder from Tabriz, in a ditch on the outskirts of the city. Tabriz, Iran, October 21, 2015.

Elham, 24 years old, skater girl from Tehran in front of the Azadi tower. Tehran, Iran, October 25, 2015.

Erfan, skateboarder from Tehran, drinks a tea while he watches the Caspian sea. Erfan, skateur de Téhéran, prend le thé en regardant la mer Caspienne.

On the road to Yazd, a desert landscape and Mehrad screaming in the rear-view mirror of a Peugeot 206. Yazd, Iran, October 1, 2015.

Mehrad, 18 years old, skateboards in front of the Eagle Mountain near Yazd, Iran, on October 1, 2015.

A push towards the West

Surrendered by the deafening noise, all eyes suddendly turned to observe a wild horde of 30 skateboarders going down the steep roads of the city at breakneck speed. Touting American-brand clothing, GoPro cameras and skateboards decorated with skulls, it may sound like we are in California but we are in fact in Tehran, capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Though the mainstream media often portrays Iran as an outcast on the world stage, young Iranians long ago adopted an underground, more Western lifestyle. In September and October 2015, I was there to meet the skateboard enthusiasts of the Islamic Republic. As a fellow skateboarder, I accompanied them through eight towns and completely immersed myself in their daily lives.

Between 15 and 25 years old and mostly students living at their parent’s home, these skateboard fans number about 2,000 across the country. Given the difficulties concerning the import of products from the United States and the inflation which affects Iran, skateboarding is not accessible to all. “It’s a costly hobby here. At the moment, it is a sport confined to middle and upper classes” points out Alireza, owner of the first skate shop of the country. While Tehran builds skate parks, other towns remain reluctant due to the perceived Western stigma of skateboarding. However, skateboarding is becoming more and more popular in Iran. It is even one of the few sports where genders intermingle. Wearing backwards caps atop discrete but compulsory veils, girls train with boys.

Open to Western cultures, these young Iranians would like to see their country reconcile with the world. Weaving between French Peugeot cars and Paykan from the time of the Shah, the road belongs to them. Taking us far away from Iran’s mullahs and chadors, these skateboarders keep pushing towards West.

A push towards the West

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