This blog is about Janaki Anand a four year old skateboarder from India, We had asked Janaki’s father few questions about her and the sport of skateboarding.
(Read Below)
When did janaki start skateboarding?
-Janaki started skateboarding when she turned 4, the exact date of her first visit to skatepark to be
a real time skateboarder is 29.01.2020
How was she inspired or by whom she was inspired to start skateboarding?
-She was inspired by her brother @skate_rehan and her father Anand though he is not a
professional skateboarder, her father is the best coach so far.
How long has she been skateboarding?
-It’s been one year she is with the skateboard
Janaki’s point of view on the sports of skateboarding?
She believes skateboarding makes her strong and tough and it is right. Her achievements or features in brands, magazines through skateboarding -Soon after the kick start of her skateboarding life, she got featured in an online magazine called inspire crew and that made her to get noticed by a few Indian adventurous life stars then she got
featured in Brut.India and a Malayalam TV channel called Jai hind and The coimbatore central page on IG.
More Than that, she is privileged to be the ambassador of a non-profit organization called “skateboarding for hope”. She is sponsored by a skateboard manufacturing company named “Twisted Skateboards” and the very first sponsor came forward from India to encourage her is none other than “Blavk”. Recently she got the opportunity to be an influencer for the new collection “Where’s Waldo” from Vans_me. Last but not the least, an indian apparel company “Centimeter kids” sent goodies for her as a
token of appreciation as well. The first year of her skateboarding journey was full of surprises and it encouraged her alot and
pushed her forward. She participated in many online competitions and won prizes including Nikesb and Frame skate. Beyond all these colorful happy stories, she bravely faced a few failures as well.
Has a parents what are your thoughts on the sport of skateboarding?
-As parents, we are so happy with her improvements during the last year and we will give her
more accessibility to skateparks in order to keep her consistency in her practice for the coming
year. Unfortunately, we are also in the list of life affected by the pandemic and that shaded on
her practices many times during last year. So as parents we wish to do our best to fill all those
gaps and encourage her to lead a happy life with her passion.
Anthing else you want to share with everyone?
-I would like to write a small story about how we brought this sport to our family.
In 2014, Janaki’s father got interested in this sport by watching a video flashed in his instagram
handle. He bought a secondhand skateboard and started cruising on it during his free time. My
son Rehan who was 9 years old got interested in watching him and we bought him a penny board
(Janaki was not born even at that time). But his interest did not last much due to FOF, though we
bought him a perfect skateboard to cruise with and his father was there to train him for a
beginning.
Janaki was born in Dec 2015 and the years have gone by. She turned 3 and then the real fun
started. Her favorite toy at that age was the skateboard but she was stopped stepping on it by her
grandmother and we parents followed the same. One day in 2019 November (right after her
vacation from India) we noticed she took the skateboard all by herself and started pushing with
her tiny feet supporting her hands on the sofa set and side walls. That surprised us and we
couldn’t stop her after that.
In 2020 January, we took her to the skatepark and watched her cruising along with her brother
and that was the restart for her brother too and that journey continues until today. Her brother
Rehan is a Street skateboarder when Janaki is a ramp skater, but not limited as she is interested
in street skating as well.
Her father Mr. Anand is still trying to be the best coach for her and her brother by practicing
himself along with them and also, he teaches the other kids from our local community and widen
the skateboarding family with some cool brave heroes.
The one missing from this sport from our family is my mother and she is in a beginners list too.
Thanks
