Mumbai and Goan youth take flight: The skateboarding revolution

Come evenings, Goa's Miramar skatepark opens up for boarders. Andy Topo, Anveer and Ruth Beatriz Costa are gearing up for their daily jam session. Aerial, backside, lipslide, kickflip and more tricks are up for display for viewers and passers-by.

As they swing their decks, street life takes centre stage at the rink. Skateboarders are ‘not kids whose dads gave them batting practice out in the front yard,' explained skate magazine Thrasher. ‘It's not a father-son deal' - instead of normative institutions like school, family and teams, skaters abide by a tailored practice regime with a sense of freedom.

In this feature, Midday.com spoke to seasoned skateboarders who are often seen performing transgressive and whimsical acts such as sliding down extended rails or jumping down stair sets in office plazas and downtown areas.

Boarder's cynical sense of camaraderie

Skateboarding is commonly perceived as a subculture within the realm of street life. During the 1990s, both the mainstream media and skateboarders frequently portrayed skateboarding as a countercultural movement, challenging the norms of society. Skaters crafted an alternative lifestyle encompassing music, fashion, language, magazines and videos.

In this dispersed culture, assertive skate-centric qualities like independence and autonomy, distrust and cynicism, camaraderie and jocularity, or creativity and resourcefulness often surface in unpredictable combinations. A real-life instance depicting their eclectic mix of values is - Anveer who opens up about a recent hardship he faced as a skateboarder.

It's still quite hard being a skateboarder who is trying to build a community around skateboarding. "Our headquarter and the skatepark is in Panjim and is actually a big underutilised roller rink that has only been brought to life since we skateboarders called it our home and took ownership of the place. Legally though, it isn't ours as belongs to the state government," informs Anveer.

This implies that it can be taken over at any time by the RSFI (Roller Skating Fed of India), political groups like the Shivaji Maratha Mandal for celebratory functions, or by IFFI (International Film Festival of India). All of them host successful events but aren't careful enough to leave behind a clean skatepark for the team to use after.

Anveer and fellow boarders don't have much of a say in this. They have accepted what they have for now and try to reverse the damage by organising volunteer programs to clean the park at their own cost and time.

"IFFI taking over our park meant we had to move some of our big ramps out. We were using them at a festival in Goa and had no space to move them after. It was surprisingly hard to find someone who wanted skate ramps in their yard or garage. A sport so very cool is still associated more with breaking bones and being destructive than it is for learning balance, overcoming fears and building community," remarks Anveer.

However, street life is endowed with a cynical sense of camaraderie. Seeing him troubled, Anveer's surfer friend came to his rescue on short notice and found a house for the big ramps till IFFI concludes.

After some hectic logistics planning the team decided against moving them over a wall into the backyard and just parking them upfront squeezed between a well and the boundary wall. The friendly woman whose house the mini ramp setup is now parked in front of told Anveer, "I have a five-year-old son. He better be excited to see this when he comes back". For him, it turned out to be a lovely feeling to have people opening their hearts and homes to skateboarding.

‘Skateboarding is the granddaddy of street life"

Ankit Duggal, the founder of Back Alley Bodega (BAB) - A goa-based street fashion cult, offers insights into the skateboarding scene in India. His passion project, BAB, emerged as a creative outlet for him, becoming a platform to unify skateboarding enthusiasts. "I really wanted to do something creative. It became a way to express myself."

Despite starting his own skateboarding journey a bit later in life, Duggal actively works to support and promote skateboarding culture and values. Now in his late 30s, he has been closely involved with skateboarders, particularly in Goa, where he himself began skateboarding. Through BAB, he aims to serve as a supportive force for the boarding community. His engagement extends to working with skating communities in Goa and sponsoring initiatives, such as covering the flight expenses for the Mizoram-based skater Kima Ralte for a skateboard tournament in Bengaluru.

Acknowledging the growth of skate culture in India, Duggal emphasises the community-oriented nature of skateboarding, describing it as a brotherhood where individual projects transform into collaborative efforts. He highlights the dedication of groups like skatelifegoa, who actively contribute to the boarders in Goa, maintaining skate parks and promoting values of inclusivity and brotherhood among the street fellows.

Duggal sees skateboarding not only as a sport but also as an act of worship, emphasising its community-oriented and supportive aspects. Despite the challenges of bringing in more participants and gaining mainstream acceptance, Duggal values the authenticity and independence of skate culture. He believes it should remain true to its roots and resist commercialisation by larger brands, allowing it to stay accessible and genuine.

In Duggal's vision, skateboarding should continue to grow and be accepted to the extent that it remains accessible, focusing on equipment, classes, rinks and community interaction rather than becoming a commercialised venture. The ultimate goal is to maintain the core values of skate culture - authenticity, freedom, and support - while spreading its influence in India's diverse urban landscapes.

Indian youth leaps into skateboarding

Over the past few years, the skate scene in India has expanded far and wide, with skateboarders like Sagar Waghela representing the country in international competitions. While Ralte pioneered the skate scene in Aizawl City, Mizoram, one of India's seven sister northeastern states. Duggal considers him the most talented skateboarder in the country.

In skateboarding, making mistakes and missing a trick is considered cool; it serves as a safe space for individuals to express themselves, and the culture provides both value and support. The essence of this culture is to provide a safe space for individuals to express themselves without fear of judgment.

A group of boys including Anveer and Topo started skatelifegoa who spend a disproportionate amount of time on the streets of large urban centres. They have taken it upon themselves to keep the skate park running. The club is a hub for everything skate in Goa and works to promote, inclusivity and brotherhood amongst the boarders. They conducted an SLG event - to develop the community and inform more people about the sport, pushing skate culture ahead.

Topo epitomises the essence of a true skateboarder. He engages in the most challenging and daring feats, attempting spontaneous and exceptionally difficult tricks at spots he has never set foot on before. What sets him apart is not only his audacity to try these tricks but his remarkable ability to flawlessly execute them on every attempt until he lands them.

On a parallel note, Shraddha Gaikwad, a 16-year-old hailing from Wagholi, Pune, has emerged as a National Gold medalist in the skateboarding street category. Despite her young age, she attributes all the positive changes in her life to her involvement in skateboarding. Shraddha, the daughter of a security guard at Decathlon, stumbled upon a skateboard while delivering lunch to her father.

Frequenting the sports store to deliver her father's lunch, Shraddha's interest in skateboarding grew. At the age of 12, she began honing her skills with basic training from the store employees. Her routine soon revolved around delivering lunch followed by dedicated skateboarding practice. A significant turning point occurred when she attended a skateboarding workshop at the store, where she crossed paths with her current coach, Swapnil Magare.

Impressed by Shraddha's skills, Magare took her under his guidance, initiating regular training sessions. This encounter marked a crucial juncture in her skateboarding journey, propelling her towards national success in the street category.