Chennai’s first skatepark set to excite enthusiasts

Conceived by Sai Krishna Tej Reddy, who has brought this vision to life along with Bengaluru-based HolyStoked Collective, the sprawling space is a dream come true for skateboarding enthusiasts in the city. It also features two wheel scooters, BMX and roller skating.

To mark the launch on Saturday, a series events like trick contests, team battles, the last man standing event and even a Death Race was conducted. It was concluded with a disc jockey DJ Karty.

“The lack of facilities for skateboarding means that it’s not quite recognised as a sport in the country. So when I was looking for options to utilise a property owned by my family on OMR, I decided on a sporting venue. While there were several for the likes of cricket, football and even tennis, there was none for skating. So I figured a skatepark would really help the burgeoning community here. People are looking for interesting new activities in the city as well,” explained Sai.

Madras Wheelers is designed for the street-style free-flowing version of the sport with obstacles like curbs, rails, quarter pipes, ledges, and so on. It is a huge upgrade from the earlier two mini ramps constructed by HolyStoked in Poonjeri and Mahabalipuram.

“There is some fantastic work that’s gone into the construction of this park. Professional skateboarders have designed and developed the space and it truly comes across as a work of art.

There was a lot of work involved in shaping the concrete, making sure its safe and accessible,” Sai added.

The park will also have coaches available to train interested candidates and membership options.