India has only recently opened up to the whole idea of skateboarding. Though there are many who still do not consider this as a sport, the days when misfits were the only ones considered to be skating are long gone. Skateboarding has now become cool, popular among teenagers, and one step closer to being socially acceptable in India. This has only been possible due to the efforts of early skating enthusiasts. In 2003, India saw its first skatepark, Sk8Goa built by Nick Smith. Many semi-pro skaters from around the world made Sk8Goa their home. The efforts of Abhishek, popularly known as Shakenbake, should not go unrecognized. He co-founded Holystoked in 2011, which was India’s first skateboard collective with a strong goal of promoting skateboarding in India. India has also seen the growth of numerous skateparks all over the country, including Goa which has contributed to the growth of many skateboarders. India’s first-ever skate competition, Third Eye Tour has also immensely motivated skateboarders and encouraged new ones to join this ever-growing community. Another contributor to India’s skate life growth is Piso skateboards from Goa. It is an Indian skateboard brand completely run by skateboarders, for skateboarders. Their aim is to create a happy skateboarding community and provide the best quality skateboard products that match the average skater’s budget in India. Inspired by the Konkani word for crazy. ‘Piso’, the brand has become a favorite among the skateboard community around India. Piso skateboard has given birth to a rich skateboard culture in Goa. Piso skateboards are best known for all-around skating, be it on Indian streets, freestyle, skate parks, or cruising.
Vaibhav Rasam from Goa, India is a carpenter by profession and is in love with woodworking and skateboarding. Initially, everyone used to call his team ‘Piso’ when they used to skate and have fun around. So they decided let’s name the brand Piso which means ‘crazy’ in Konkani. Vaibhav has just one vision to make India skate.
Their journey started back in 2013 with the Third Eye Tour. Organized by Varun Patra of Homegrown, Nick Smith, ALIS, and Abhishek Khan, it was the first time skateboarders from all over India were coming together for a first-of-its-kind skate tour in India. A bus full of skateboarders traveling from Bangalore to Goa, skating anything and everything that came in the way.
After coming back from the tour, life was never the same again. It was almost like someone had clicked on the refresh button. They knew skateboarding was what they were going to do all their lives. The team started with skateboarding camps in Goa in 2014 to get a local skate scene started. Some days there were no kids and some days there were just one or two kids. But as months became years the number grew.
In 2015, the team even started making their own skateboards DIY style. They pooled knowledge from the internet and fellow skateboarders and built our own concrete press and mold. We rolled out a few skate & cruiser decks and were really thrilled with what we had accomplished. The team was all set to launch our own skateboard company. But the reality of the situation was different. Neither were our products of great quality nor was the entire operation economically or logistically viable. We failed several times and even came close to giving up on the idea entirely. Luckily few dots got connected and that is how the team proudly brushed the dirt off our shoulders and launched our very own Indian skateboard brand, Piso Skateboards in 2018.
The company has a small setup of making boards, but currently, their quality is not up to the mark. At the moment we are relying on imports. Maybe over the years, they will have their very own manufacturing unit.
Skateboarding Camps is an initiative by ‘Skate Life Goa’ where the team conducts skate camps every month for kids and adults. Currently, due to Covid, the program is open for very limited people, hoping it’ll get smooth over time.
The team provides everything that is needed for skateboarding. Right from small nuts, to a full-fledged skateboard. Everything is there at the store.
To buy Piso products you can visit their website, Piso Skateboards to check the products that they have available.
ARE THERE ANY SKATE SPOTS IN GOA?
We often ask ourselves this question… Thankfully, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’! All the concrete ramps here are DIY (Do It Yourself) built by either Indian skatepark builders, locals, or builders from abroad. I have included the google map locations of all the following places at the bottom of the article. In the following list I will share some information about various skateparks, ramps and skate-spots where we’re mostly found shredding in Goa:
- Youth Hostel X VANS build
- Bal Bhavan
- Cirrus DIY build
- GoAlis DIY Bowl
- Svami X Escobar DIY Build
- Vans sk8goa Park
- Anjuna Parking lot
