New Delhi/Gangtok
When sadness, anxiety and insomnia overtook the young Jarina Lepcha, who is now in her late 20s, she turned to skateboarding as a means of relief. A resident of Gangtok, Lepcha turned to the sport in 2019 to overcome her heartache.
Over a phone call, she described that skateboarding, which has gained popularity among the youth in the city, helped her emerge strong. “I decided to join the Skate Connect community. It helped me relax andfind myself once again. I slept better as my body felt tired after the practice sessions,” she told The Indian Tribal.
In the Eastern Himalayan city of Gangtok, skateboarding has emerged as a strong subculture.
Initially, Tenzing Tsundu Bhutia, also known as Jack in short,started skateboarding alone in the city after his return from Bengaluru, post a short stint in the southern tech city. But what began informally soon turned into a more concrete plan. Bhutia went on to form the Skate Connect community which has at present several interested members.
In 2023, he, along with a few other passionate individuals, started the All-Sikkim Skateboarding Associationto promote the sport, which is also a part of the Olympics. Like the Lepcha, which is an indigenous community from Sikkim, the Bhutia community is also recognised as one in the State even though the members originally hailed from Tibet.
This formalisation by Bhutia helped Lepcha, who is an engineer by profession and is from the indigenous Lepcha community. “The association assisted me to find a like-minded community out to share their unique experiences. Though skateboarding is popular in Gangtok, many women stay away from it as they feel afraid of sudden falls and grievous injuries.
“But I got to do something which is cool. From a young age, I had been inspired by Western culture, music and movies. Skateboarding makes me feel liberated. The sad part is that women in India still cannot do what they want. They need permission at every step,” Bhutia said.
She shared that before a designated space at the city’s Wellness Park was assigned for skateboarding to the association, many youths used to skate on a building terrace at Lalbazar Chowk, a popular spot in the city. “But there the police often admonished the skateboarders.” Now, she feels positive that the new space will help the skateboarding culture to expand.
Setting An Example
In a country where sports are not as encouraged as much as academics and government jobs and the entire focus remains on cricket, skateboarding is helping youth not only to fight depression and battle loneliness, but also making them stay off drug as well as substance abuse. Sources told the reporter on the condition of anonymity that drug abuse is a grave issue in this State which joined India in 1975.
“The State’s international border makes it easy for drugs to enter. The availability of drugs at Lalbazar Chowk, where skaters used the terrace for practise earlier, kept women away. But skateboarding is a great hobby and can help youths can get out of addiction. It is cool and rebellious at the same time,” a source who did not wish to be named said.
As a single mother with a small child, Lepcha has to shoulder a lot of responsibility even though she stays with her parents. At times, she feels that the societal pressure is quite overwhelming. “But Skate Connect makes me feel alive. The members meet and spend time together,” she shared during a phone conversation. As a safety measure, she has become habituated to the helmet and safety gear. “After all, my child is now a huge responsibility.”
To help popularize the sport, Legain Tenzing Namchyo, who acts as the general secretary of the association,said that youths have been sent to places across India to take part in competitions. “But the association wants to encourage women like Lepcha. However, she needs to finetune her skills before taking part in contests. But it is good news that women are coming forward in skateboarding. This will help remove societal barriers.”
According to Namchyo, who is also from the Lepcha tribal community,the association helped a few youths financially to take part in a skateboarding contest in Assam held in June this year and also in Nepal earlier. “The sports department extended help to the association through a one-time monetary aid, but all kinds of future support would be welcome. It would encourage the players.” A financial aid of Rs 1,50,000 helped the association to send the players outside the State.
Bhutia, who is the president of the association, said that he is happy over the kind of reception that the sport has met over the years in Gangtok. “The youth are connecting and hanging out. They are from all walks of life. It is amazing to see them bonding over skateboarding. However, at one time, getting hold of a skateboard was really hard in Gangtok. In 2014-15, when I went to Bengaluru and lived for some time, I came to know that there was already a skate park in the city.”
According to Bhutia, who purchased skateboards online through a dealership with a sports company and lent them to others, the sport is still male dominated and the male-female ratio is 70:30. “One falls down a lot and it makes women shy and reluctant. But there are some women who like to skate. It calms down the nerves and is a form of expression. It gives a lot of joy.”
Obstacles In The Way
A limiting factor in popularizing the sport can be the price of a skateboard which often comes expensive. Sometimes, it costs Rs 6000-Rs7000 to buy a skateboard. To help youths, Bhutia made access of skateboards at nominal rentals. That is how the community expanded in Gangtok.
Following his example, even Lepcha has lent her skateboard to someone else and plans to purchase a new one. “I want to save money and buy a new skateboard. I also want to devote more time to do skateboarding. Personally, I am not a great skateboarder. Still, I would love to teach others,” Lepcha, who wants to move forward, shared.
“Women shouldn’t ever give up on their interests. At one time, I used to avoid people. Now, with skateboarding, a shared community and supportive parents, I am out in the world. When some people try to hurt me, I don’t engage with them.”
Apart from Gangtok, thesport is popular across six districts of Sikkim. There are many players in the state who have been skateboarding for a decade. Namchyo explained that the association wanted more female participation. “Many women can be inspired from Lepcha.” There are some hiccups in the way. Since its formation in 2023, the association has not been able to pay the annual charge for the designated space at the Wellness Park to the Gangtok Municipal Corporation. The players who enter the space pay the regular entry fee of Rs 30. But as many are students paying Rs 30 daily is sometimes hard.
The association vice-president, Ong Tshering Lepcha, informed that Municipal Commissioner of Gangtok Municipal Corporation Gayden Chopel, who was formerly the chief architect of the Urban Development Department, wanted an exclusive skate park in the city. “The association is the first in Sikkim to promote skateboarding. But there are financial issues.”
He also shared that as a registered organization, utilisation certificates were issued to show how the funds had been utilised on players. He explained that many of the association members are not full-time employees anywhere. The association has to pay a substantial amount to the municipal corporation for the skate park. “However, efforts are being made. As of now there is no pressure. Many association members worked hard on the ground for the skate park. It is a great passion for all of us. A few of us visited rural areas and distributed skateboards. So, the association is proactive.”
