Historically, skateboarding has this established identity of being a part of the counter-culture movement, led by the pariahs of society. As a person friends with many Indian skateboarders, I can say that I am glad to have known them rather than many high-brow members of society. Even today many Indian parents do not want their children to pick up a skateboard, thinking that it is some Western fad. However, skateboarding, like all art forms, opens up an avenue for self-expression.
The skateboarding culture has always been welcoming to any individual who can skate. It has a friendly and encouraging ever-increasing community and provides an escape from the monotony of daily life. It gives people the ability to experience their environments differently. It helps young people develop more self-confidence and a sense of identity and belonging.
In the past decade, India has seen an increasing rise in skateboarding. Today, cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Bengaluru have skate parks. Several skating collectives are cropping up all over the country. The sport has also permeated rural India and has become a medium of change.
The sport's power to break or at least challenge social barriers is well portrayed in the Netflix original film, Skater Girl. The movie is about a young girl from a remote village in Rajasthan who, through her skateboarding talents, manages to break social, cultural, and economic prejudices standing in the way of her dreams.
India got its first skate park in 2003. It was created in Assagao, Goa, and was called SK8Goa. A British Skateboarder called Nick Smith built the park. Smith is considered the 'Godfather of Indian skateboarding' for his immense contribution to creating the scene. As time passed, new skate parks were built around the country. The sport is now part of the Roller Skating Federation of India (RSFI). The governing body overlooks all roller skate-related sports such as Artistic Skating, Speed Skating, Inline Freestyle, Roller Freestyle, etc.
With the growing popularity of skateboarding in India, comes the need to have good skateboards and related accessories for the sport. While there are many good brands out there, it is important we try to support local businesses that provide quality goods and services.
This brings us to the LEGACY Skate Life store in Mumbai. They have the coolest designed skateboards and various accessories such as risers, pads, pivot cups, bearings, and wheels to name a few. You can also find the most rad skater caps and shoes in this quaint store. It is a must-visit for all skateboarding fans in the city.
You can follow the store here.
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