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Photographer Sarah Brownlow captures Bali's exploding skate scene

After moving to Bali from the UK last August, Brighton photographer Sarah Brownlow tumbled head first into the country's exploding skate scene. The tattoos, body adornments, clatter of trucks on the concrete and the heat from the Indonesian sun were an assault on the senses and within 10 minutes she was hooked.

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Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of Sarah Brownlow

Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of Sarah Brownlow

"I'd left my old life of conformity, going to work every day and proper shoes behind me, and it left room for something else...it was like a breathe of fresh air," explains Sarah.

"As a woman, and with no history of skateboarding or a tattoo in sight, it initially took great courage to enter this scene and capture intimate moments of the skaters and their spectators; but eight months on and I have found this scene to be warm and welcoming, bringing locals and bule (Indonesian word for foreigner) of all ages together; kind of like an open community and we're all invited."

The result of her new obsession is this series of photographs, highlighting Bali's exploding skate scene. She adds: "When the sun goes down, the raw, unharnessed energy spills into the skate bar aptly named 'Pretty Poison' and things get heady with skate competitions running alongside an eclectic mix of live music, eye-watering strong cocktails and on-site piercing and tattooing. Not for the fainthearted but definitely worth a trip to see Bali’s skateboarding underbelly ignite in the night."

You can discover more of Sarah's work at sarahbrownlow.com. Or follow her on Instagram @Sarah_Brownlow.

Skateboarder riding up the curved wall of a concrete skate bowl in bright sunlight with palm trees and spectator seating visible in the background
Skateboarder sitting against a concrete wall wearing protective gear and looking upwards while resting after skating
Overhead view of a skateboarder lying on a concrete skate ramp with their skateboard visible below them in Bali's skate scene
Two women with blonde hair stand at the counter of Pretty Poison skate bar in Bali, with neon signage visible behind them
A crowd of skateboarders and spectators sit together on a concrete platform at Pretty Poison skate bar in Bali at night, lit by overhead lights
Tattooed man wearing a face mask pierces a customer's ear inside Pretty Poison skate bar, surrounded by Playboy magazine covers on the walls
Two DJs perform at Pretty Poison skate bar in Bali, one operating turntables whilst the other raises his fist to the crowd, with a laptop and large screens displaying the event behind them
Shirtless skateboarder sitting on concrete floor at a skate bar in Bali, watched by seated spectators on a wooden bench behind him
Skateboarder performing a trick in a lit concrete bowl at night, surrounded by spectators sitting along the curved edge of the ramp
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