Andy Topo as we all know him from his insta handle 'ironsanta' is a team rider for Piso Skateboards. He is originally from Russia but residing in India for a very... very long time!. He belongs to Goa where the Piso headquarter is :). If you happen to meet him some day do ask him to speak in hindi!!! haha he speaks hindi so fluently and with superb accent :D. He has been part of our team even before Piso Skateboards was formed. Following is the narration by him of his skate journey living in India. This is what he has to say :)
How it all started?:
I think most people can agree that skateboarding is "cool". I'd be lying if I said I started skateboarding to become a monk and live a humble life. No, I started because I met awesome people who: dressed cool, listened to cool music, skated (of course) and looked like they were having a ton of fun doing it. We instantly became good friends, with skateboarding being in the mix which created the glue that binded us together. I am forever grateful to Dandush and Sina W'aan for showing me the ways of the street-skate-warrior back in the day. You guys are legends! Soon enough I realized that I didn't care about being cool as much as I wanted to progress. I learned the ollie (after what seemed like ages) and was hooked ever since.
What Skateboarding means to you?:
It serves as an outlet for all energies, converting them into something positive. Some call it art, others call it messing around. Or they don't call it anything. There aren't any rules or boundaries which is why skateboarding is so special. Some people hate that :). They'd rather place themselves in a convenient box: football pitch, baskteball court, tennis court, swimming pool, etc.
I enjoy teaching skateboarding and want more people to be able to try and experience it. I believe the people in India are capable of achieving great heights with skateboarding if they are provided with the proper skateparks and opportunities. There is a lot of talent here which sadly goes unrecognised and eventually loses its potency. I'd like to get the right time and opportunity to help them into the spotlight and explain to them what it really is all about.
How do you feel being part of Piso Skate Family?:
Skateboarding is an instrument- If you butcher the chords the music can sound terrible and off rythm. However, it can also create a rythmic symphony if you play the chords right! I believe that in order to become a good skateboarder one needs to put himself in a community which inspires him and pushes his progression. Piso has given me all that and more...
It also gave me the freedom to experiment with my gear and skate harder. The crisp feeling of a fresh deck under my feet keeps me motivated to learn new moves. It feels great to be able to communicate freely with my fellow team members and discuss our opinions on/fine-tune: products, various projects and other skateboarding-related activities. Afterall, we are here for skateboarding and skateboarding is here for us! Piso always wants to provide what is best for the people and community which makes me proud to wear the logo on my t-shirt. In addition to that: it reminds me that I am part of a team which resonates on the same frequency, is deeply connected, has similar interests and has an unstoppable driving force to reach the ultimate goal.
People say it all the time but it's true... Just remember to have fun out there! Don't take skateboarding too seriously and remember why you started doing it in the first place.
Instagram Channel - ironsanta
Youtube Channel - Killa Bee Bantai
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