Now That’s One Sick Varial

Spanish freestyler Kilian Martin is spinning right through the streets of Varanasi, landing perfect casper flips on his skateboard while girls on the side watch gawk-eyed. Director Brett Novak, meanwhile, is capturing it all on film—the subcontinental playground in a flinch-inducing, jaw-dropping video. But this isn’t another visual exploration of India but  a unique way to extend freestyle into the realm of street skating. And that’s just part of the story.

Recently, 24 skateboarders and ‘builders’ from aro­und the world got together to con­struct the first free-for-public-use skate park in Bangalore. Those decks of pressed, layered wood revolutionised “sidewalk surfing” in California in the 1960s. Slightly late in the game, but now in India too there’s a growing band of youngsters experimenting with free-fal­ling tricks like kickflips and pop-shove-its at graffiti-strewn skate parlours.

Nick Smith from the UK set up perhaps the country’s first skating arena in 2003, behind his house in Goa (it ext­ended into the thicket beyond). “Ini­t­ially, only the firangs would take part, but with more tours and events across the country, the camaraderie is growing. There’s as much encouragement for beginners as there are accolades for professionals here...unlike in other competitive sports,” says Nick. In fact, the response has been so good it’s spurred him to build two new skate parks last year, plush ones in  Bangalore this time (Play Arena and HolyStoked Skatepark). Abhishek of the HolyStoked Collective holds workshops, provides equipment and even  helps build skate ramps. “The DIY culture is spreading in India, people want to create their own skate parks. What was once about cruising through the streets has acquired a new meaning. If you’re a good skateboarder, you’re cool today.”

Photograph by Sanjay Rawat

In Delhi, an abandoned garage has been refurbished and named Freem­ot­ion Sk8. The walls have bizarre graffiti and Ame­rican grunge plays in the back­ground, but the couple of kids ‘ollying’ the ramps are more intent on getting their flips over the fun boxes and quarter pipes right. Neeti Jain, a docile 13-year-old, has only recently signed up for classes (encouraged by her brother’s handsome stunts), but is already dreaming of making it big in the circuit. “There’s freedom here...but it’s not for the faint-hearted,” she grins. Guru Steve, a sprightly Calif­or­nian who’s seen how basic tricks like ollies have revolutionised skateboarding in the US, feels the world has finally woken up to the Indian market. “It’s no longer a punk thing. You now even find staid guys hitting the ramp with ease,” he says. He points to a wall where a sign reads: ‘Off the Wall is a state of mind. Choose your line on your board, and in your life. In the early ’70s, kids snuck into empty background pools seeking to expand the limits of what could be done and Off the Wall was born.’ Well, that’s the mantra then. Matthias, a 25-year-old semi-professional skateboarder, says, “This is the only sport in the world that lets you bend any rule. It stirs the child in everyone.”

Meanwhile, in the east, a worn Calcutta warehouse for old buses is now a spunky skate zone. The big steel doors have been opened up partially for a light-shadow effect, while the colourful interiors put the kids at ease. Americans Aaron and Debora Wall­ing started the Calcutta Skateboarding comm­u­n­ity, convinced of the talent of the many children coasting on pieces of wood with four wheels. “It’s about courage, risk- taking and improving your communication and social skills...this is what drives them,” Aaron notes.

Photograph by Sandipan Chatterjee

The growing enthusiasm means organisers are hosting many more fest­ivals, like the rec­ently concluded Third Eye Tour, an international skateboarding event that circuited through Bangalore, Hampi and Goa. Nick, one of the organisers, says, “The way forward for India now is to start manufacturing boards. The sport will then really come out from the shadows.” A bunch of documentaries and online videos chronicling the emerge­nce of skateboarding in India are already out. And now event professionals are getting into the game, wanting mini ramps at music festivals and arty events. Early this year, Mumbai got its own mini ramp, where groups of skateboarders like Flippin­awesome, Meteories and Sharptune turned up for a popular festival. Even smaller towns like Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Ranchi now want their own concrete skate parks. Aaron says the wheels are definitely spinning, “It’s slow compared to the west, but some day the best skaters will come out of India.” Ollie that.