Text: Indian Skate Girls
Bengaluru: Skateboarding would seem like the last place for the new wave of feminism to raise its voice but when 22-year-old Atita Verghese casually states “go to any skateboarding park in the world, you will barely see any girls practicing the sport”, you realize how gender politics sneaks in uneasily even in a game that’s considered the epitome of cool among the hipster brigade.
“I don’t see girls, my age or older, take up the sport. I am trying to figure out why and will do what I can to change the scene,” says Atita, who is about to embark on a road trip across the country to do just that.
Starting on December 27 at Kovalam, Kerala, Atita along with 12 other girl skateboarders will be touring Bengaluru, Anjuna in Goa and Panna in Madhya Pradesh, as part of Girl Skate Tour 2015.
On the self-funded trip, Atita and team will be conducting free skateboarding workshops for girls/women of all ages and build concrete skate ramps. Roni Tal, a skate yoga instructor from Israel, will be holding skate yoga workshops as well.
Elaborating more on what she has in store for Bengaluru, Atita says, “In Bengaluru, we will be holding a series of events for three days – from December 29 to December 31, at three different venues. We will be doing a free demo and free skateboarding workshop at the Play Arena skate park on Day One where we will show participants tricks and styles of skateboarding. The idea is to introduce girls to the sport and show them that irrespective of age or body type, it’s a sport they should try. Skateboarding is so much like life. The skills you gain, the knowledge and awareness of yourself and your external environment you acquire, are highly valuable in life, on and off the wheels.”
Besides workshops, on December 31, Atita and team will be building a concrete skate ramp at The Cave Skatepark in Hegdenagar. “In India, most skateboarding facilities including ramps are built by the skaters themselves. I shall be building a concrete ramp with an extension solely for girl skaters here,” says Atita, who loves nothing more than getting on her wheels because of the ‘sense of freedom’ she gets to experience.
While the scene for girl skaters may currently seem bleak in the country, the future of the sport holds promise, according to Atita who coaches kids at classes organized by Holystoked Collective.
“We have parents who enthusiastically sign their kids up for skateboarding. And interestingly there are quite a few girls who come for the classes. In my sessions especially, I have an equal number of boys and girl students, so I think the next generation of female skateboarders will have it easier,” says the youngster who took three months to chalk up the tour. Of course, bringing back focus on her mission to get more girls on board, she says, “Gender equality is important in sports and one way to ensure it is to include and encourage girls.”
