Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story

When Leo Baker steps in front of the camera, they narrate how a childhood love of skating turned into international success and complex choices. The film follows Leo's progression from prodigy to professional, showing competitions, sponsorship pressures, and the locker-room world of pro skateboarding. As Leo starts living openly as a trans person, the story looks at how that decision intersects with industry expectations, personal relationships, and the cost of authenticity. The directors keep the focus on everyday moments and candid interviews, letting viewers see the practical and emotional consequences of trying to build a public career while changing private life.

Directed by Nicola B. Marsh and Giovanni Reda, the 2022 documentary centers on real footage and interviews with Leo Baker and peers from the skate community. It uses vérité scenes and archival clips to map a career and an identity in progress.

The film had a limited theatrical and festival run, which is common for indie sports documentaries. It reached wider audiences through specialty screenings and digital platforms rather than a broad box office push.

Within skateboarding and LGBTQ spaces, the film sparked conversations about inclusion, sponsorship, and what it means to support trans athletes. It highlighted the gap between mainstream sports marketing and athletes whose identities challenge narrow expectations, encouraging more public discussion about visibility and allyship.

Critical reaction was mixed to positive, reflected by a modest vote average of 6.4 out of 10 on some sites. Viewers and reviewers praised the intimate access to Leo and the frank interviews, while some wished the film had more context about industry structures. The themes are clear, identity and career collide, showing how personal truth and professional systems can clash, and asking how communities can change to better support athletes who live honestly.