‘I feel free, like I’m flying’: Inside Delhi’s growing skating scene

On a cloudy Sunday morning in Delhi, the west end of Kartavya Path begins to awaken. Runners and cyclists make their way along the road, while a small group of children skate towards the east end. At the nearby police barricades, about 30 individuals in protective gear gather, some playing music while they skate. The gathering is the Delhi Skating Community (DSC), a group that has grown since its inception in 2022 by lawyer Nishchal Singh.

Nishchal started the community after posting videos of himself skating alone in Khan Market, and receiving requests from people who wanted to learn but had no community to join. Each member is personally vetted, with a Google form allowing them to express their intent. Safety is a top priority, ensuring a welcoming environment for all skaters, regardless of gender or age.

One of the newest recruits to the community is Kaira Verma, a five-year-old who has been skating at school for just two months. Her mother, Deepika, watches her progress, while 18-year-old biomedical engineering student Khwahish Sahni explains how joining DSC has transformed her shyness into extroversion.

Siddhant Dhankar, 20, is another key figure in Delhi’s skate scene. He founded Backyard Skatepark, an open-roofed facility in Saket built using family land. The park offers ramps, rails, and banks, providing a space for skaters to hone their skills and attract commercial visibility through brand shoots, sponsorships, and events.

Delhi's skate scene is thriving, but there is still a lack of public skate parks. Across the city, Surjeet Kumar has been running the Delhi Skateboarding Academy since 2016, training roughly a thousand skaters and producing four skateboarders who represented India at the Asian championships in China. Yet, in comparison, cities like Chandigarh, Pune, Mumbai, and Bengaluru boast public skate parks.