High on wheels

For many young Bengalureans, skating and skateboarding have become a way of life.

The leisure sport is doubling up as a community activity, bringing people out of the confines of their homes to the streets. It not only helps to bring total strangers together but also builds confidence and stamina.

Despite falls and bruises, Bengalureans who are passionate about skating and skateboarding confess that they wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Thirty-one-year-old Mykel Kumar, a tattoo artist, says that he has fulfilled his childhood dream by learning skateboarding a year ago.

“Skateboarding has a meditative effect on me. I have had my share of falls and bruises but I still keep doing it because it is a great stress buster. It has sharpened my mind,” says Mykel.

One has to stay focussed to get a state of flow when skateboarding. “It pays to be persistent and determined when you are practising,” he says.

He adds that he has also managed to find friends in the skateboarding circuit.

Twenty one-year-old Rishi Dharshan, an employee with Siemens, learnt skateboarding in college and continues to do it even after he started working.

“Skateboarding has helped me escape the monotony of everyday life. The little tricks that I learnt when skateboarding has motivated me to pursue the sport. You learn many tricks to overcome obstacles and this has indirectly strengthened my strategising skills,” says Rishi.

Somanna Mekerira had a childhood fascination for skateboarding. He still has it and has been pursuing it for the last seven years.

“As a child, I was always fascinated at the thought of balancing on a piece of wood and later moving around on it. And I have noticed that nobody shies away from trying their hand at it,” says Somanna, who is a skateboarder and owner of Holy Stoked Skate Park in Jakkur.

“I believe skateboarding is a versatile sport because you can take it anywhere you want. And just the act of skating builds confidence in you, helps break barriers and above all, helps you overcome fear,” says Somanna, who has travelled across Bengaluru on his skateboard.

Children are also very enthusiastic about skating and skateboarding. Vasudha Sriraam decided to put her 11-year-old daughter Mahathi for skating classes after she discovered that Mahathi had an interest in it. Mahathi says, “After a lot of practice, I now regularly skate in my neighbourhood. I’ve realised that skating has made me a stronger person.”

Vasudha pitches in, “The best time to skate on city roads is during the ‘Open Street’ events when there is no traffic.”

Rashmi Mayur, whose nine-year-old daughter Nishka Rao is a confident skater, says, “I discovered that my daughter had a genuine interest in skating. It has built stamina in her and given her the confidence to face any situation.”

Nishka adds, “Skating is adventurous, thrilling and has taught me the art of balancing on wheels.”

Sharing her thoughts on the benefits of skating, Nita Veigas, a former athlete who now runs Sniipers, a skating training centre, says, “Youngsters these days seem to have a short attention span and are not able to concentrate on a particular task for too long. Skating requires the mind, body and especially the lower part of the body, to work together. This indirectly builds concentration and helps one focus on the task at hand.”