Meet the cholita skateboarders breaking down stereotypes in Bolivia

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Against the grey backdrop of a skatepark, a young woman dressed in a vibrant, puffed-out skirt and long braided hair practises kickflips and ollies. “They usually think that it is a sport for men,'' says Brenda Tinta, who has been skateboarding for the past six years.

The skateboarder is part of the Imilla Skate collective, a group of young Bolivian women who skateboard while wearing traditional clothing.

With their high bowler hats, frilly skirts and elegant demeanour, the cholas - or cholitas as they are affectionately known, may look like they have stepped out of an early 20th century period drama, but this is the traditional dress of the indigenous women of Andean Bolivia.

In the Imilla crew, the 'pollera' skirt symbolises strength and empowerment. "These clothes are not a costume. This is an identity. This is what makes them cholitas and they are proud of that," explains Imilla Skate member Huara Medina Montaño. "The chola reflects the history of her heroism for liberty and independence," she adds.

In today's world, anything is possible. Brenda explains a cholita can be a lawyer, teacher, or even a TV presenter. "Why not us? As the Imilla Skate crew, we want to show people a cholita skateboarder," she says.

As boardsports have gained popularity over the past decade, skateboarders are well known on the streets of Sucre. "What interests me more about this sport is that it's a discipline that pulls you out of your comfort zone. It pushes you out of your limits and it helps you to lose fear," explains