Varkala's skate scene centres on Flow Cult, a new skatepark just around the corner from Edava that comes alive in the evenings, when surfers, local kids and travellers turn up with boards as the heat goes out of the day. Skating and surfing feed each other: the balance, the stance and the turns are the same, which is why so many surfers here spend their flat days on concrete. And if you have never skated, a surf-skate is the easiest way in.
On a surf week, the sea gets the mornings. The evenings belong to the terrace, a guitar, and a board with wheels. Here is what the skate side of Varkala looks like, and how to join in.
Skating in Kerala: a scene that is growing
Skateboarding in India is young compared with many countries, but it is growing fast, with community-built parks and crews across the country (Wikipedia). Kerala has its own pockets: a professionally designed skate bowl called LOOP in Kochi has become a hub for skateboarding and street culture (Homegrown), and a skatepark in Kovalam has helped grow the scene in the south of the state (Dankies Skateboards).
Varkala is part of that story now, and its skaters are mostly surfers.
Flow Cult
Flow Cult is brand new and right around the corner from our house. It is busiest in the evenings, and the crowd is exactly the mix you would hope for: surfers winding down after the day, local skaters, and travellers who brought a board or borrowed one. It is the fastest way we know to stop feeling like a tourist in Varkala. You can find it on Google Maps.
When to go: late afternoon into the evening, once the sun is lower. Who goes: everyone from first-timers to people who have skated for years. What to bring: a board if you have one, shoes, water, and some patience while you wait your turn.
Why surfers skate
Surfing has one big problem as a sport to learn: you only get a few seconds of riding per wave, and a lot of paddling in between. Skating gives you minutes of continuous practice at the parts of surfing that happen on your feet.
- Stance. Low, knees bent, weight centred: the same on a skateboard as on a surfboard.
- Turning. Leading with your shoulders and hips, and letting the board follow.
- Balance. Dozens of tiny corrections a second, without thinking about them.
- Reading a line. In a bowl, as on a wave, you learn to use speed from a curve rather than fighting it.
None of it replaces time in the water, but it makes the time in the water more productive. Plenty of experienced surfers here skate most evenings for exactly this reason, and say the habit shows up in their turns.
What surf-skating is
A surf-skate is a skateboard with a front truck designed to swivel much more than a normal one. The result is a board that carves in tight, surf-style turns and can be "pumped" for speed by moving your body, without pushing off the ground. It feels far more like riding a wave than a regular skateboard does.
For a surfer who has never skated, a surf-skate is the friendliest place to start: it is forgiving at low speed, and the movements carry straight over to the water.
If you have never skated
- Start on the flat. Get comfortable standing, pushing and stopping before you go near a slope or a bowl.
- Wear shoes. Barefoot skating looks relaxed in photographs; it is not how to learn.
- Go early in the evening, before it gets busy, so you have room.
- Wait your turn in the bowl. Skateparks run on etiquette: watch, take turns, and never drop in on someone already riding.
- Fall well. Bend your knees, roll, and try not to put a straight arm out.
- Consider wrist guards and a helmet, especially for your first few sessions.
Skating at Kuma
Skate is part of the week for anyone who wants it. On our surf camps it comes up twice, and both times it is voluntary, alongside a slackline for balance practice. On most evenings, the terrace gets a guitar, the coffee keeps coming, and the skating carries on under the bulbs until someone declares tomorrow a dawn mission.
Our music and skate evenings page shows what those nights look like, including a short film of a session. If you are coming for a camp, the surf camp page has the full week.
The slackline, the other balance trainer
Skating is not the only way surfers train balance on land. A slackline, a flat strap stretched low between two anchors, asks for the same quiet, constant corrections a moving board does, only slower, so you can feel each one. On our camps it sits alongside skating as a voluntary session.
It looks easy and is not. Most people manage a wobbly step or two on the first try, and cross the whole line by the end of the week. Start with a friend's shoulder to hold, keep your eyes on a fixed point ahead rather than on your feet, and bend your knees. It is also an excellent way to spend an evening laughing at each other.
A flat-day plan
When the sea goes flat, which happens, this is a good day:
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| Morning | Yoga, then a long breakfast |
| Midday | Shade, lunch, a nap |
| Late afternoon | The backwater at Kappil |
| Evening | Flow Cult, then dinner |
For the backwater part, see kayaking near Varkala; for the morning, yoga and Ayurveda in Varkala. And for the quieter corners of the coast to explore between sessions, quiet beaches near Varkala has our favourites.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own skateboard?
It helps, but you do not have to bring one from home. Many travellers borrow or buy a board locally; ask at your guesthouse or at the skatepark. If you are a surfer, a surf-skate is the best board to start on.
Is skateboarding safe for beginners?
Falls are part of learning, but most are minor if you start on flat ground, wear shoes, and build up slowly. Wrist guards and a helmet reduce the risk further. Stay out of the bowl until you can push, turn and stop confidently.
Can children skate at Flow Cult?
Yes, with a parent keeping an eye on them. Evenings can get busy, so younger children do best early, before the more experienced skaters arrive.
Does skating really help my surfing?
It helps the parts of surfing that happen on your feet: stance, balance, turning and reading a line. It does not replace paddling or reading waves, which you can only learn in the water, but it makes each wave you catch more useful.
When is the best time to skate in Varkala?
Late afternoon into the evening, when the heat drops. Mornings are for surfing, and the middle of the day is simply too hot on bare concrete.
What else is there to do on a flat day?
Plenty: yoga in the morning, the backwater at Kappil in the late afternoon, and the cliff at sunset. The flat-day plan above strings them together.