Journalism of Courage
This small but growing group of skateboarders hopes to spread awareness about the sport through fancy tricks and techniques
Every Sunday,a young group of people,dressed in sporty wear,make their way through the Phoenix Marketcity Mall to its courtyard. The afternoon sun is never a deterrent for these avid skateboarders. For some,it’s about rekindling an old passion for the sport,while for others it’s a newfound love. Skateboarding may not be as popular as other sports,but this group is doing its bit in making more people aware of its thrills and tricks.
Almost all the participants are below 25 years of age and of different nationalities. The last week saw youngsters from the US,Bahrain and Oman displaying their skateboard riding skills. Ved Jain,a Std III student at St Marys School,is the youngest in the group. I have been learning the sport through the Internet. I have my own skateboard and I attend the meet with my cousin Akshat Solanki who can even do the Kick Flip, he says.
This small community of skateboarders is like a social networking group. The youngsters get to meet new people,exchange skills and learn different tricks. “They even speak to each other about where they can get their skateboards serviced or where they can find parts since very few people here know much about this sport,” Menezes says. Nivritti Aga,a first year design student at Symbiosis,is the only girl in this group. She started skateboarding eight years back when she was in Delhi. “I came to Pune only in June 2011. From then till now,I had no opportunity to pursue my passion as there is no skate park or skating environment. Recently I came across the Quiksilver page on Facebook. A few of my friends — all guys — have also joined in. I don’t know why but here it’s perceived as a ‘guy’ sport,” she says.
The group members help out the newbies and teach them their style of riding the board. There are whacky prize slots for all. “We thought of prizes in order to keep the momentum going. For example,last week,an American boy got the prize for the ‘Best Fall’; another boy for ‘Best tricks’,” says Menezes.
Divesh Tolani,a commerce and event management student,used to skateboard while living in Dubai. “I moved to Pune a year and a half back. Two Sundays ago,I chanced upon this group and have been skateboarding here ever since,” he says. “A lot of people are interested but they don’t know where to learn the sport. This is a good opportunity,” he adds.
“Our country only knows one sport – cricket. I never imagined we would find 23 interested skateboarders!” Menezes quips.
