Sunday morning. The radio has crackled the news of another ambush in a forest nearby, another ember of violence that lit up the night before. Just another day in Manipur. Elsewhere, in a small, vacant parking lot attached to an auditorium in Imphal, the Ultimate Riders of the Horizon, a group of 100-odd youngsters, are wheeling in their BMX bikes for a practice session. For Umananda and gang, a few hours spent spinning wheels are the best way to shake off the gloom that often clouds minds and skies in this hill state. “There isn’t much entertainment here. No malls or multiplexes, no pubs. Going from one place to another is an irritating experience. We’re likely to be stopped and checked by security forces several times on the way,” says 21-year-old biker Michael Gurumayum. But in the parking lot, on the saddle of the bike that they push to the limits, the frustrations are forgotten. “The creativity of BMX cycling appeals to me a lot. There are no rules,” says Umananda. The Ultimate Riders are one of a kind. Even in adrenalin junkie land of metro India, few take up extreme sports like BMX cycling, skateboarding or aggressive inline skating that involve a high degree of innovation and skill. And what the youngsters of Imphal pull off on their bikes is stuff most have seen on sports channels—daring backflips and swift bunny hops. Umananda is the oldest member at 26, but the gang of 100 boasts one as young as five, a skater. To enrol, all you need is Rs 100, payable in installments.How did the gang start? In the summer of 1999, Umananda, then 18, was gifted a CD of BMX stunt-based movies by his elder brother. Snared, he began looking for literature on the sport till studies took him to New Delhi with its bigger and better equipped market. The first bike he bought was a secondhand Indian-made one for around Rs 100. “There was so much to be fixed. The frame and handle had to be made lighter and stronger for more balance.” In Delhi, he worked part time at Music World while reading up on the sport, and says he spent an entire semester fees once to buy his first stunt-ready bike. But the passion is hamstrung by the lack of opportunities. The Ultimate Riders have performed in the Northeast on several occasions since 2005 and participated in a country-level event in Singapore but have had to pass up numerous opportunities around the country due to lack of funds and practice. “Is it possible to be a swimming champ without a pool to practise in? IIT Powai had invited us to perform at their Tech Fest, but the level of stunts they wanted was beyond us then. Cycle-makers Firefox asked us to perform at a trade fair in New Delhi earlier this year. They promised to cover all our expenses, but we didn’t have the money to travel,” says Umananda with a wistful smile. At home, members like Roman (22) say the support of friends has helped them overcome family opposition. “When we were learning the tricks, trying to work out how to do a wheelie, we were only a few guys but our friends would cheer us on. Now, many kids come to watch us during practice and some of them show interest and join up.” They have also formed the Skatepark Association in New Delhi to promote the sport. “Over the years, I’ve got in touch with foreign cycling federations, who have helped us with literature, videos, rules and regulations for conducting a competition, all at their own cost. In India, we know of one other BMX club, based in Pune/Mumbai, called the “Ride 2026”. We’re in touch with them, and they have invited us over for a competition.” In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, BMX biking will make its debut as another sport which will test human ability to go “faster, higher stronger”. But in Imphal, with little exposure and encouragement, a group of youngsters has already made the game their way to beat the blues—and forget the violence.
