You might have come across a bunch of skateboarders while walking at the Marina Beach or Anna Nagar Park. With their skateboards, these youngsters are promoting the action sport, both as an entertainment and a fitness activity.
With Go Skateboarding Day celebrated internationally next week (June 21), we explore deeper into the bylanes and beaches in the city, where the sport-activity has a hidden following and underground fandom. Not to mention, a Hollywood film on an eight-year-old skateboarder Kamali from Mahabalipuram, is in the works and set to take Tamil Nadu to the forefront of the scene nationally soon!
Tanzeem Ahmed, founder of the Skateboarding in Chennai Krew (SICK), is upbeat about his skateboarding journey. He says, “When I founded the group with four people, way back in 2013, skateboarding was not very prominent in the city. People would stare at us when we skated in the Marina Beach. But over time, the city peeps started encouraging this. Now, there are almost 30 skaters in our group.”
Rosy and Tanzeem
Tanzeem and his team have planned some interesting events for June 21. “We’ll be conducting a skateboarding workshop either at St. Bede’s School or Wesley Higher Secondary School. After that, we’ll be cruising around the city’s best spots and will move to Anna Nagar Tower Park,” shares Tanzeem, also a Hotel Management student at Vels University.
Specialised in street skateboarding tricks, he is unhappy with the way the police treats skateboarders in the Marina Beach. “It was all fine before the jallikattu protests. But after that, policemen are giving us a cold shoulder! They are okay if only four people skate. But once the number crosses 10, they frown upon us. The Marina walkers stop and watch us skate and most of them cheer for us. It’s our favourite spot in the city,” he adds.
Members of SICK street skating
Though Bengaluru has become a paradise for skateboarding, namma ooru too is supporting the skaters. “It’s not a passing fancy for us. We love and adore the sport. And through our initiatives, we are promoting skateboarding in the city,” adds Tanzeem.
Mostly a form of recreational activity, skating helps in developing a great mind-body balance. “It increases your stamina and energy. You can find a perfect balance between mind and body. It helps you maintain your fitness,” he says.
The only woman skateboarder from the city, Rosy Hariharan, says, “Tanzeem is my classmate and he introduced me to this. At first, I thought it was something guys do to while away time. But later, I realised that there is more than meets the eye.”
I was motivated after seeing the skateboarding videos online. I used to get irritated when people and policemen came up to me and went, ‘You are a girl and not supposed to indulge in such activities!’ It’s been two years since I have been skateboarding with guys and I am not ashamed of it. In fact, I feel proud of myself,” Rosy says.
Her parents are supportive of their daughter and this helps the youngster move forward. “It’s high-time the mindset of people changed.
How much ever progressive we claim to be, many Chennaiites have an archaic mentality. After seeing me skate, many parents have come forward willing to send their girl child for training. There is nothing to be ashamed of in skating. More people, especially adults, should come and be skateboarders,” feels Rosy.
Raghul Panneerselvam, a surfing instructor at Mumu Surf School in Mahabs, has been practising skateboarding for the past four years.
He shares, “I am training the children in and around Mahabs and they love the sport a lot. Many parents come to me and ask whether I can teach skateboarding for their kids. It’s an active outdoor sport and people are becoming aware of the fitness aspect as well. The sport keeps you energetic throughout the day. People think that ramp skating is dangerous and street skating is safer. But both have its own merits and demerits.”
A student of Loyola College, Jacob Dan Paul is a fellow skateboarder and a professional dancer. “I have been skating only for the past one-and-half years. But I’ve heard stories of how tough it was for the skaters before. Though the city is becoming friendly towards skateboarding, we don’t have a proper organisation to support us. Bengaluru’s ‘Holystoked’ is doing a good job of promoting skateboarding culture in India. Once in a while, the Holystoked members share with us some interesting tricks. The ‘Skateboarders Meet’ and ‘Skate tour’ happen every year and from next year onwards, we’ve decided to represent Chennai,” concludes Jacob.
