Thrasher Magazine

Oakland became ground zero for the wildest queer skate-art-music mashup the scene has ever witnessed. For four days straight, the second Unity Fest drew skaters from all over and delivered an unforgettable ride full of chaos, creativity and cherished memories. The festival, crafted by Jeffrey Cheung and Gabriel Ramirez, was a bold and epic celebration of queer and trans culture. It unfolded across The City with the perfect trifecta of skate sessions at Lake Merritt, Rockridge and SOMA skatepark. But this wasn’t just about skating—the fest also featured art shows, the premiere of Marie De Courcy’s new part and nightly parties that kept the energy high. If you survived the action-packed marathon, you’re basically the Energizer Bunny. The full schedule pushed everyone to the limit, but the stoke never faded. Can’t wait for the next one? You’re not alone. Scroll through for a glimpse into the life-altering experience that was Unity Fest 2024. —Norma Ibarra

Day one in Oakland kicked off Thursday night at the Unity and Lower Grand Radio shop. Of course, it was a full house

Heavy artist lineup for the show “No Ending?”

Catching up

Beatrice Domond brought the tunes from the booth at Lower Grand Radio

Samiya Smith's first ad for THERE got Rue Norman and J’vonte Johnson hyped!

Shag too!

Triple-threat Kat Sy showcases one of her many talents

Marbie shows off an unreleased new pro board graphic while skillfully balancing a cookie in hand

Then we headed to the Stork to vibe out with Abi Teixeira, AKA DJ Code Fabi

Let the dance party begin!

Siena White shows how it's done

Day two at Lake Merritt, it was all love on the sidelines

Rolling in and bringing the energy

Fabiana Delfino flies through with a nosegrind

Chandler Burton, back 180 nosegrind

Sam Bolton the GOAT, nosegrind

Osha and their pom-poms kept everyone stoked

Addie Brigham travelled from Traverse City, Michigan to blow minds on the flatbar

THERE skateboards' newest pro Marie De Courcy busts a nollie 180 switch crooks

This killer setup was brought to you by Kat Sy and painted by Jeff Cheung. Cecilia Aster thanked 'em with a Smith

Briana King feeble to fakie on the far-side ramp

Perk Kute blasts a lofty three flip!

You never know when a mid-day dance party's about to break out

Aw, everyone's so sweet

#NormasClassicGroupPhoto here we are again. Bigger than ever!

Time for more?! Marie on the guitar and Dylan on drums in Whine, they played an epic show. Check the pit

Surfs up, Samiya!

Can you spot Jeff?

Day three took us to the holy site of slappies—Rockridge. Nicole busts the first move with a shove tailgrab off the Unity ramp

Board Members of Skate Like a Girl, co-directors of Queer Skate Toronto and fam: Jen Sethasang, Allegra Wiborg, Sloan, Paz Navarro, Zephyr Connolly, Oden Connolly, Brent Ray, Ju Stein, Yumi Lee and Kristin Ebeling

Victor Valdez, switch crook

Canadians in the house

No stranger to these spots, the OG Jessie Van comes through with a quick front board

Madi locks in on a sunset nosegrind

Jeff Cheung and Gabriel Rodriguez, the masterminds behind Unity Skateboarding. Thank you for everything!

After Rockridge we hung with Hongry at Break Free before the movie and shows

Then it was time to roll up to Beauty Supply, posted above Break Free Skateshop, to catch the premiere of Marie's new part

Ryan Is Lit ignited the night

We all lit tonight

TOAD made their debut, bringing the house down with their first-ever show!

One of Bay Area's newest alternative-rock acts, Spa Band, brought their catchy, happy, sad and slow songs. Keep an eye out for Spa!

Legend DJ Jasmine Infiniti blessed Unity Fest and closed out the night

Last day of the festival started at Double Down shop. Here’s the friendly team that kept the good vibes rolling for the fingerboard contest

You heard that right! Marbie showcasing her impressive skills for the crowd

And the winner is Antonio!

Sam Bolton made sure the fest was literally unforgettable

Next up, we rolled into SOMA, where J’vonte Johnson got first rips with a big ol' bluntslide

Samiya Smith sailed a switch flip over the oldest obstacle in the game

Still buzzin' from the premiere, Marie gets down on the rail. Backside 50-50

Trish planted some beans under the bridge

And finally, Sebastien Laplaine soared one down the three block to shut it down

Holy shit!

One more group photo and that’s a wrap! Can’t wait to see you all next year!