Growing up, I would always see kids zooming around on their skateboards, pulling off incredible tricks, and wish I could be one of them. I’d watched Avril Lavigne’s 'Sk8er Boi' music video enough times to convince myself I could learn to skateboard overnight.
Later, we realised that I had, and still have, absolutely no hand-eye coordination. When I was nine, my cousin brother tried to teach me how to skateboard, but I fell flat on my face and never got on a board again. My parents never really understood what skateboarding was, and it quickly became more fodder for my cousin brother to bully me over, so there was never anyone around to encourage me.
Today, skateboarding in India is a rapidly growing alternative sport and subculture, with skateparks and communities growing in most major cities. Like most spaces, however, it remains predominantly male-dominated and can be intimidating in the same way it once was for me. As an antidote to this, 'Girls Skate Hyderabad' is carving out a space for women and queer-identifying individuals to learn and rediscover skating in a safe and encouraging environment.
Run by two International Skateboard Certification Program (ICSP) certified trainers, Girls Skate Hyderabad hosts workshops and classes at skateparks across the city. These sessions go beyond simply teaching the basics of skateboarding; they are designed to create a supportive, judgment-free space where beginners can learn at their own pace.
Alongside building skills on the board, participants are encouraged to connect with other women and queer folk, fostering a sense of community that feels welcoming rather than intimidating. Even though Girls Skate Hyderabad, operates in Hyderabad mostly, they have held workshops in Bengaluru and Mumbai as well.
In many ways, Girls Skate represents the kind of space I wish had existed when I was nine, where falling wasn’t something to be laughed at, but simply understood as part of the learning curve. It offers the reassurance that failure isn’t a personal shortcoming, but an essential step in the process of learning something new. By making room for women and queer skaters to show up exactly as they are, without fear of ridicule, it creates an environment where confidence can be built slowly and safely.
In doing so, they're challenges long-held ideas about who skateboarding is for in India, shifting the focus away from bravado and gatekeeping and towards community. More than just a skate collective, it stands as a reminder that access to encouragement can be just as radical as the sport itself.
You can follow 'Girls Skate Hyderabad' on Instagram here, to learn more about their upcoming workshops.
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