Graphic designer, semi-pro skater and Avril Lavigne apologist Emily Hicks christens the return of our regular profile feature, spotlighting interesting but under-the-radar folks in Wales. John Evans hears how she combined sporting passion with entrepreneurship.
Growing up in Maesycwmmer amid the Welsh Valleys, little Emily Hicks would often feel influenced by and copy her older brother – who frequently watched the likes of Jackass and Viva La Bam. But it wasn’t until pop-punk icon Avril Lavigne entered the world’s eyes and ears that she became enamoured with her aesthetic and skateboarding (thank you, Sk8er Boi).
Gifted her first skateboard on her eighth birthday, Emily hasn’t gotten off it since. “I had a little area where I could skate outside my parents’ house and became obsessed with it. I’m still obsessed with it now. It’s always going to be an obsession.”
Now 28, Hicks has been a part of plenty of skating competitions and communities and uses skateboarding as a way to escape from the busyness of everyday life. “Whenever there’s a really stressful day at work or in general, I feel like skateboarding is the one thing I do to de-stress and forget about it all.”
Female skateboarders came few and far between when Emily was young, let alone queer ones. Now becoming more and more common, however, Emily hopes to create opportunities and pave the way for other girls who want to start skating. “Sometimes I’ll go to a skate park and there’ll be more girls than boys, which is amazing to see!” You can even find inclusive groups and communities here in Wales, like Queer Skate South Wales and Prom Queen Social Club. “It’s a really supportive community, everyone just wants each other to land tricks, get better and simply have fun.”
Emily’s biggest influence is London skater and designer Blondey McCoy, who started out skating for Palace. “It’s just inspiring seeing somebody get work through skateboarding. He’s done work for big companies like Burberry and it’s really cool seeing how he brings art and skateboarding together.”
Taking a similar path, Emily not only has a few tricks up her sleeve when it comes to skating but she is also the founder of Studio Hicks, a successful graphic design company specialising in logo and branding design. With a studio office in Pontllanfraith, she’s been steering the ship for six years and completing work for clients such as The Thirsty Elephant and Skateboard Academy UK. “That’s the ultimate goal for me, to be able to keep designing for the skateboarding community, and bring my two loves together.” Emily enjoys the creative freedom that comes with having her own business and hopes to create more opportunities for young creatives with her company soon.
It hasn’t always been plain sailing for Emily, however. She was diagnosed with ADHD at the later age of 25. “I used to think I wasn’t very good at school or that I wasn’t very intelligent. I never had any goals to set up a business or be a graphic designer.” But drawing and skateboarding were strong passions and motivators for Emily. “I find it hard to concentrate on things quite a lot of the time, but with skateboarding, it’s almost meditative.”
Since then Emily has been sponsored by award-winning national retailer Route One and after joining co-working space Welsh ICE, she has now developed into a successful business owner and skateboarder.
Infinite bruises and a few swollen ankles later, Emily hopes to further grow in the future in both business and pleasure. “My goal now with skating is to keep having fun. I’m getting older so I’m just going to try and take it easy and enjoy it from now on,” she says. “With the business, I just want to keep on growing and keep doing jobs that mean a lot to me. Oh, and be happy forever!”
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words JOHN EVANS
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