Small talk: Switch on

The city-based skateboader is poised to represent India at the upcoming Asian Games.

It is fairly easy to tell that Shubham Surana, 18, is obsessed with skateboarding, going by the number of tattoos he has dedicated to the action sport. The most conspicuous among them is tattooed on his left forearm, which states: "Skate or Die". Some more body art lies hidden beneath the shorts he is wearing. He tugs at his shorts to reveal the concealed tattoos, inked slightly above either kneecap: "Skate" it reads on the left leg, and "Destroy" on the other.

What is missing on the teenager's arms and legs are the crusty, brown scabs from lesions that are the defining markers of most skaters. There is a reason for that. Surana, who knows a bit of parkour, is no rookie at skateboarding. The youngster, who bears a striking resemblance to pop superstar Justin Bieber, is counted as one of the finest skaters in India. Surana ollied his way to glory at the 'Jam of the Clans' last month in Mumbai, where he competed against older and experienced contenders from the country. Before that, he had bagged a bronze medal in the Under-17 category of Indian Extreme Nationals last year in Mumbai.

Surana's consistent performance is sure to land him a berth in the skating squad set to represent India at the upcoming Asian Games, described as a multisport event. Harshdeep Pawar, a skater from the city who witnessed Surana skate at the Asian Games trials held in Mumbai on Thursday, says he was one of the top performers. The Roller Skating Federation of India (RSFI) had conducted the trials, the result of which will be out next week. And now that the counter-culture sport of skateboarding has been added to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Surana could be headed there too. "I doubt if I will ever make it to the Olympics," says the teenager, who is at once idealistic and pragmatic about life. "The reality is that, in a country of 1.2 billion people, there are only 1,000 skaters."

The woes of a skater in the city starts with the dearth of infrastructure supporting the activity. About four years ago, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had grandly announced the construction of a skate park in Sahakar Nagar. What PMC failed to do, however, was consult skaters while designing the facility, and the result has been disastrous. The sole skate park in Pune has now become a constant source of embarrassment for Surana and his fellow skaters. "The skate park is not built according to specifications, so we can't take skaters from other countries visiting the city to skate there," he says.

To say that the facility is designed poorly is an understatement. "The bowl shaped enclosure is randomly constructed. Its edges are sharp and the drops at some parts are close to eight feet," says Surana, "Beginners could seriously hurt themselves while doing tricks." Of late, boys from neighbouring areas who frequent the skate park have made it impossible to pursue skateboarding. "I think those boys drink at the park, as we have often found shattered pieces of beer bottles lying inside the bowl." A few years ago, a skater who refused to be shooed away by their presence, was assaulted. After that incident, Surana has stopped going there.

Surana makes do by skating wherever he finds space, but there is very little of it. "JM Road has stretches ideal for skating." But he was accosted by pedestrians and then the cops subsequently forced him to stop. Given that skateboards make noise, residents of his society are equally averse to his skating. Surana and his friends have managed to build a temporary ramp at Green Fields Arena in Mundhwa, but such adhoc measures fail to meet the expectations of those serious about the sport. The champion skater, lacking in funds, was once so desperate to find material to build a ramp that he approached a woman to give him an old, wooden cupboard for free.

Skaters in Mumbai are comparatively better off. "They at least have a place to skate at City Park in Bandra Kurla Complex," says Surana. City Park has produced remarkably talented skaters and has become Surana's second home. "I go to Mumbai thrice a month to learn from the far more skilled skaters who frequent the park." In the face of these difficulties, Surana looks to Vinnie Banh, a skater and rapper from Los Angeles, for inspiration. Since music and skateboarding share a symbiotic relationship, Surana listens to Banh's songs to pump himself up before an intense session of executing 360-degree turns midair and jumping over concrete stairs.

There is a vibrant skateboarding community in the city despite the challenges, but there is an urgent need for a better skate park. Surana and his friends have approached PMC officials regarding the matter, to no avail. "Give us a proper skate park and you will see that hundreds of kids will turn up to learn the sport," he implores. For the first time in the history of Pune's nascent skateboarding scene, the skating competition, Indian Extreme Nationals 2.0, will take place at a city mall later this month. Surana, who hopes to one day visit Los Angeles to improve his skills, is confident that he will emerge a winner once again.

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