Active 8 Sports Will Teach You Skateboarding Just For INR 2,000 A Month

Active 8 Sports started in 2015 as an online portal, retailing imported skateboarding and active sports goods in India. In their own words, they are “all about good vibes and action sports!”, and are working towards building a community-driven network of athletes and sports-people across India, through promotion and awareness of outdoor sports.

When California born-and-raised Jake Indra moved back to Pune, he wanted to start a business around something he was passionate about – skateboarding. Along with co-founder Aman Mahtani {whose passion is scuba diving}, their combined history with sports like skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, skim boarding, wake boarding, wake skating, wake surfing and others, manifested in the creation of Active 8 Sports. Their initial idea was to import equipment for these sports that weren’t readily available in India, but they soon realised that the success of their business is defined by the success of these sports in India – and so they’d also have to do their bit to build a community around them. On their website, you can find everything you’d need for skateboarding – different kinds of boards, safety equipment, magazines, gear; for kids and adults. They also stock sportswear and accessories for other outdoor activities like slacklining and surfing, as well as clothes, shoes, gadgets {cameras, audio, etc.}, bags, and much more. In addition to their e-commerce portal, Active 8 also works towards building engagement in these sports through training activities, workshops, skate meet-ups, Go Skate Day, etc. In an effort to continue their outreach online, they also have a blog on their website to introduce people to these sports and make them accessible to anyone who’d like to try them out. From a documented list of skateboarding spots and parks in India, to a roof-top skating Wonder Kid from Mizoram, to their multi-city Skate India Expedition, and even an 11-year old skater from Tripura – Active 8 creates content to inspire people to get moving and try new things.

Skateboarding is all about being inspired by the urban environment; it’s a form of self-expression. It’s a part of socialising, and makes you stronger both physically and mentally. There aren’t a lot of competitions or championships around it – it’s not an organized sport, though it has now been included in the 2020 Olympics. Once they build a successful model around skateboarding, they’re looking to extend it towards BMX, longboarding, slacklining, surfing, rock climbing, and MTB {mountain terrain biking} as well. Active 8 works to also support local Indian brands that have related products, and skater-run and operated brands.

Attend one of Active 8’s weekly skate meets {in collaboration with Harshdeep Pawar of Pune Skate Boarding} that happen 2-3 times per week at Nitesh Hub in Koregaon Park, to try it out. They will provide all the equipment, which you can buy later at a discount. The idea is to get the basics right before you decide to commit to an advanced class. The age group varies from kids to teens and young 20-somethings. They also offer workshops with focused training, for INR 2000/month {for 8-12 classes}. Stay tuned to their social media feeds for all the latest updates.