When Hamza Khan returned from Dubai (UAE) in 2015, he couldn’t find a suitable space to skateboard and the roads seemed too dangerous. So he decided to create one. A casual idea he had mulled over when working in Dubai, became a reality in Hyderabad. That was the genesis for WallRide Park, a place for all non-mechanical wheel rides. Apart from skateboarding the park also has BMX activities.
The 29-year-old built the park without being sure of how many people would sign up as members, apart from the small community of skaters/BMXers he knew. Post easing of COVID-related restrictions, the park is witnessing a number of young members and curious visitors willing to give this sport a try.
Hamza recalls, “Initially I was quite disappointed. No one was ready to rent out a place to build a skating park. They didn’t understand the need for such a place. My grandfather then suggested that I build the park on a piece of land which belonged to him, adjacent to Telangana State Police Academy (TSPA) on the Himayat Sagar road.”
Initially, Wallride Skateboards on half an acre of land had only a handful of visitors; nobody would . even try the sport to decide whether they like it or not. A general fear of skateboarding being dangerous discouraged many, he thinks. “As youngsters, we used to skateboard at the Mehdipatnam bus stop in the wee hours. That bus stop met all the parameters; it was spacious and had no bends and inclines. Just getting the flat space was enough for us,” recollects Hamza.
Members of the skater park in Hyderabad
| Photo Credit: Omair Quadri
As someone who is into BMXing, Skateboarding and mountain biking, he saw a great opportunity to push the park and the sport when skateboarding and BMX were introduced in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Study to skate
The Janwar skatepark is located in the eastern buffer zone of the Panna National Tiger Reserve. It is India’s first rural skatepark spread over 450 sq meters. They follow a ‘No Government School. No Skateboarding.’ rule to encourage the village kids to study.
Talking about what to look for in a skateboarding park, Hamza mentions transitioning (curvature of the ramps), gradience (of the banks, slope and curve) and most importantly, obstacles in flow.
About skateboarding being a dangerous sport, Hamza clarifies, “No one gets on a skateboard and begins to jump and flip. We spend weeks correcting the posture and balance of our students to develop the reflex muscles.”
In the last couple of years, Wallride Skateboards has hosted events like RevJam, Redbull Pumptrack World Champs India qualifiers, and the Redbull Feel the Wheel (the only skateboarding event in India).
