Did you see? I just landed a kickflip for the first time! ,” exclaimed a skateboarder gliding through Central Park last Sunday as skating communities across NCR marked Go Skate Day during their weekly meet-ups. For many participants, these sessions are more than a nostalgic return to a childhood hobby.They have become a form of self-care, offering a break from work routines and screen-heavy lifestyles.‘Our Sundays are reserved for skating’Skating sessions have become a way for many to build friendships, unwind and reconnect. Nishchal Singh, founder of Delhi Skating Community (DSC), says, “Our Sunday mornings are reserved for skating. It has become a non-negotiable for many in the community. Every Sunday, new people join in, and some are absolute beginners. After the session, we all jam to some music, and some members volunteer to teach skating at NGOs. The community aspect allows beginners to learn without fear and judgement. It is a platform where we learn skills from each other.”Karolina Bamotra, a Polish native now based in Delhi, recently joined the DSC. “I used to skateboard back in Poland. My children are seven and four, and this is one of the few activities they happily wake up early for on a Sunday,” she says.
“Streets are our only practice ground,” says skateboarder Rakshit Verma, adding that skating communities in NCR are beginner friendly
“I used to do inline skating back in school, and even participated at the national level. But I couldn’t continue due to an injury. Getting back to skating is like finding happiness again. Being a regular here, I am learning how to skateboard as well,” says Rupesh Sharma, a student who travels to Delhi from Greater Noida every Sunday.
After slogging through the week, skateboarding on Sundays is my way of unwinding. When I am on wheels, I feel a lot of freedom
Anirudh Kashyap, a Noida-based startup founder, who started skateboarding four months ago.
‘Getting back to skating is like finding happiness again’The sense of encouragement and camaraderie helps skaters return week after week. Nikita Jain, an interior designer, says finding the skating community was a blessing after she drifted away from competitive skating post-school. “I have been a part of the (skating) squad for almost two years, and I make sure I spend my Sunday mornings skating with them. On some days, when I can’t skate, I just show up to meet everyone,” she says.
‘Our Sunday mornings are reserved for skating’
“I have learnt new tricks like pulling off a T-Stop. At the home terrace, not much is possible, but here, in a public space, one feels free to skate during morning hours. Seeing other skaters, I push myself to step out of my comfort zone. Even if I fall, it doesn’t matter. Everyone falls and gets up again while skating. That’s part of the learning process,” says Khwahish Sahni, a student. “I used to do inline skating back in school, and even participated at the national level. But I couldn’t continue due to an injury. Getting back to skating is like finding happiness again. Being a regular here, I am learning how to skateboard as well,” says Rupesh Sharma, a student who travels to Delhi from Greater Noida every Sunday.
‘A public skatepark would make the sport far more accessible, fun and safe’
‘Skateparks would make skating safe’Shashwat Sunil, who co-founded Mandi Monkeys, a group of skateboarders who skate at Mandi House metro station every evening, shares, “Skateboarding has united a lot of us from completely different fields – artists, musicians, theatre people, corporate workers. A skateboard is what connects us. It was never about competition. It was about the fun of skateboarding and the people it brings together.”Talking about skating in public spaces, Siddhant Dhankar, founder of Backyard Skatepark says, “The need for public skateparks has stillnot received adequate attention. Most skaters in Delhi rely on private facilities, streets, parking lots, plazas and improvised spots. A public skatepark would make the sport far more accessible, fun and safe. It will allow more young people to participate regardless of their background or financial means. A public skatepark would make the sport far more accessible, fun and safe.” Shashwat adds, “What’s more important than learning tricks is learning how to fall. We don’t really have enough spaces, so we’ve learnt to make the city our skate park.”
