BALANCE magazine

SPORT | EXTREME | ADVENTURE

BALANCE

MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2020 / issue 1

©GayatriJuvekar

BALANCE

CopyrightŠ Gayatri Juvekar, 2020 All rights reser ved. No par t of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner.

P h o t o g r a p h s a n d Wr i t t e n C o n t e n t by G aya t r i J u ve ka r

Editor’s Letter Who would have thought that we human beings, well, some of us, would be tempted to climb rocks, walk on a single line high above the ground, surf on a board and ride the ocean waves or cycle down slippery rocky hills in extreme speed? Funny, isn’t it? But that’s the thing about these sports, they only make sense to those who have experienced them. Only to those who have experienced the adrenaline rush, the mind-boggling views, the control over their mind and body whilst being 1000 feet above the ground or at super-fast speed on a skateboard. The art of balancing your mind and body, being able to trust your movements and strategically facing your primal fears. That’s what adventure sports are about. These sports are high-risk, which is why adequate understanding of gear and equipment, geographical limitations and safety measures is as important as honing the skill itself. Balance is a journey that spans across some of these adventure sports, peeking into their world and the people who feel so passionately about them.

ROCK CLIMBING

O

ur body is capable of doing more than we give it credit for, something we don’t realize until we start pushing ourselves. Rock climbing is a mix of strength, knowledge, technique, movement, and most important of all, the ability to trust in your own body. This sport involves scaling natural rock faces

or artificial walls to complete “routes”.There is a great misunderstanding that climbing is just a physical sport, that you only need to train your body to climb, but that’s far from the truth. Building mental strength and being aware of your body’s movement while climbing is a major aspect of this sport.

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BOULDERING Location : Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir, India.

CLIMBING

A

midst the beautiful mountains, we were seven tiny humans on the lookout for some boulders to climb.

The valley of huge snow covered mountains intimidated us. We carried all our equipment and crash pads to the boulder field and walked between the huge boulders. So what exactly were we planning to do? What is Bouldering? And what is the equipment used? Bouldering is a form of rock climbing in which “crashpads” are used as a safety measure instead of harnesses and ropes. The only things necessary`are climbing shoes, crash pads and chalk powder. It is quite a social form of climbing. While one us attempted to climb a boulders, others were “spotting”.

Spotters make sure that if the climber falls, they land on the crashpads cushioning the fall.

Abha Pandit climbing a boulder with ease as others watch curiously

As spotters anxiously move the crashpads, Tuhin Satarkar gracefully sends this hectic boulder

Below - An army of spotters, spotting Shruti Bonde as she makes a crucial move on a boulder.

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Left - Just Heel It! Atharva Phadke attempts to master a move on a boulder.

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CLIMBING Right - Sumedh Tarde climbing a slabby boulder on a cloudy day in Rangdum

B

ouldering is more technique

and strength driven, where the focus is on specific tricky moves rather than endurance. Boulders are of different types, and range from small ones to “highballs”.

Recognizing the potential of a boulder for climbing it is an integral part of the process. The way each person approaches a bouldering problem will depend on their height, strength, and technique. It is exciting to watch different climbers approach the same climbs, almost invariably finding their own “beta” or solution. Climbers discuss different beta for climbs and cheer on their fellow climbers, whether or not they reach the top.

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Tuhin Satarkar on a boulder we named as the “Mammut� due to its mammut like structure

Indoor Bouldering Bouldering gyms are indoor spaces where artificial walls can be climbed without requiring ropes and harnesses. Large crash pads cover the floors as a safety measure in gyms. The beauty of indoor bouldering is that technique and movement skills can be practiced on walls of various angles and holds that work your weaknesses, at your own pace. Climbers train in indoor climbing gyms before heading out onto real rock.

SPORT CLIMBING Location : Badami in Karnataka, India.

The main aspect of Sport climbing is gravity. Gravity is what every rock climber experiences every time they scale a wall.

Sport Climbing involves climbing on single or multi-pitch routes, protected by permanently-fixed bolts and anchors drilled into the rock, using a rope and the aid of a belayer. The difference between sport climbing and bouldering is the height of the routes and the form of protection used.

The sport climbing process itself is relatively simple. A climber and a belayer tie into one end of a single rope, with a few meters of rope between them. As the climber ascends the route, they clip into carabiners spaced intermittently up the wall, As the climber climbs, the belayer feeds “slack� in the rope, and manually brakes any falls the climber has using a belay device.

There is necessary communication between the climber and the belayer, to avoid unnecessary danger and confusion. Climbing is not just about sending routes and scaling walls, it also involves understanding the equipment and gear. Learning how to tie knots, clipping quickdraws, knowing how to belay and other things are of equal importance.

CLIMBING Right - Shreyas Dudhgaonkar figuring out the next moves while climbing a route

How difficult is a climb?

T

here are a variety of

different

systems

used

around the world to grade rock climbs. But, in spite of the system, grades are subjective and the difficulty level of a route varies for each

climber.

common

The

grading

most

systems

are the Yosemite Decimal System

and

the

French

Scale. YDS sets rat­i ngs from 5.10−5.15, sub­d i­v id­e d in a, b, c and d lev­e ls to more pre­ cise­l y define the dif­f i­c ul­t y.

For example, 5.10a would be easier than a 5.12c. In the French scale, the number ranges from 1 to 9 and describes the difficulty of the climb. The letter, a, b, or c, further describes it, just as it does in the YDS. And finally, the + in French grades is an added level of specificity that allows climbers to more accurately grade their climbs. For example, 6b or 7a+.

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Heading towards the mesmerizing Halo, Bhupesh Patil climbs this sandstone rock structure

CLIMBING

T

he basic gear required to sport climb includes ropes, harnesses, quickdraws,

helmets, a belay device, a chalk bag, and of course, climbing shoes. It is extremely important to understand the gear to use it and for ensuring your safety. Most sport routes are generally less than a hundred feet long. Each route is given a name, often by the person who bolted or first climbed it. Catchy names attract the attention of other climbers. The route names might mean something but not necessarily. They don’t have a fixed length and are often built around puns.

Left - Shruti Bonde on the Master of Biscuits, a beautiful rock structure and one of the most exposed routes in Badami

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CLIMBING Bhupesh Patil cruising up an unnamed route in Badami

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Individuality in Climbing

T

he most beautiful thing about

Once climbers have the moves

this sport is the individuality

memorized, it is easier for them to

of it, every climber has their unique

get into the flow and send the route.

style of climbing. Even if four climbers

The balance between being completely

are attempting the same route, each

focused and in control, while enjoying

climber will have their own technique

the whole process is what hooks

and beta for it. Every move is carefully

climbers onto it.

thought about before attempting a route.

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CLIMBING

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CLIMBING

“Projecting� is used to describe the process that a climber goes through to successfully climb a route near or at their limit. Practice can come in many forms, including giving numerous attempts on a route or top-roping it before attempting a lead climb. Here, Sumedh Tarde tries to figure out the moves of a route to get to the end.

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Athletes Featured Shruti Bonde, Chaitanya Amrutekar, Abha Pandit, Tuhin Satarkar, Sumedh Tarde, Shreyas Dudhgaonkar, Devavrat Mujumdar, Bhupesh Patil, Atharva Phadke, Dhawal Sharma.

DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKING Location : Pune in Maharashtra, India

M

ountain biking is an off-road cycling discipline with various categories. trail riding, dirt jumping, freeriding, cross country, enduro and the one

BALANCE speaks about, Downhill Mountain Biking.

Standing on top of a hill with a mountain bike and looking down at the trails, these athletes are truly connected with nature. Riding down a trail, with sounds of the bike’s mechanics, wind gushing, leaves crackling and rocks crumbling, downhill riding is like flying down the hill at intense speed, but with great control over the bike with the help of body movements. It is all about feeling the flow and the fear while riding. Downhill riders have different reasons to ride; some of them do it for the feeling of freedom, some of them ride to win competitions, while some end up making a career of it.

But no matter what, riders keep on riding with the same positive energy, despite injuries and other obstacles.

Downhill mountain bikers are active throughout the year, be it summer, monsoon, or winter.

MOUNTAIN BIKING Left - Abhijeet Gharad in complete harmony with his surroundings and his downhill Bike

Above - Gharad leaps with his bike and sends this massive jump at Pashan Hill

Mountain bikes vary from sport to sport and are carefully customized according to the athlete’s requirements. Every mountain biker knows their bike well and understands the components and their mechanisms. Apart from the bike, full-face helmets and goggles to block out rock deflections and dirt from the eyes are always important for safety while riding.

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MOUNTAIN BIKING

Riding is Freedom - Abhijeet Gharad

T

he India mountain biking scene has

me realize that I should try competing in MTB

slowly gained the attention of riders,

instead. Gradually, I completely moved onto

given its potential for building

Mountain Biking, and that’s when it all worked

exciting, rugged trails in various parts of the

out for me. Although I still occasionally go out

country. Abhijeet Gharad, a Downhill rider from

for road rides for fun, my main focus is Downhill

Pune has been a part of this community for a

Riding itself.” Abhijeet has won several Downhill

few years. After switching from Road Biking

races and has a distinctive connection with this

to Mountain Biking, he said, “I was always into

sport. “I ride because it sets me free, nothing

mountain biking, but after racing my first road

matters when we ride. There are no problems, no

race, it made me go into Road Biking completely.

troubles, no worries. I find my peace and freedom

Post National road biking event, the outcome of

in riding, that’s why I ride”, he said.

my performance was not that great which made

MTB athlete Abhijeet Gharad skillfully performing a table top.

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A portrait of downhill rider Virendra Mali, on the bright green hills of Pune

INTRODUCING SEDATE BIKES

CUSTOM MADE AND PERFORMANCE ORIENTED BIKES FOR ANY KIND OF CYCLING The tried and tested Sedate Bikes, started by Praveen Prabhakaran, the owner of Psynyde bikes. Psynyde used to cater to production/mass-produced bicycles and custom made frames, but he wanted to give a different identity to his custom made frames, which is why in 2019, he started the brand SEDATE BICYCLE Co. SEDATE bikes are fully custom made from Cromoly, Aluminum alloy, Titanium alloy, and Carbon ďŹ ber.

Right - Virendra Mali going low on the Sedate Intent on a trail at Pashan

D

ownhill styles of mountain biking are considered to be at an ‘extreme’ level of riding, suitable

for expert mountain bike users with advanced level off-roading, technical bike skills & jumping abilities. These trails are likely to have a higher level of exposure and risk than an ‘extreme’ cross country trail.

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MOUNTAIN BIKING

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Athletes Featured Abhijeet Gharad, Virendra Mali.

SURFING Location : Udupi in Karnataka, India

SURFING

Patience is key when it comes to surfing.

While waiting to catch waves, surfers observe the ocean and wait for a swell to form. A swell is a wave generated when wind blows over a large area of open water.

Reading and understanding the ocean is considered an important aspect of surfing.

I

magine being out in the ocean surrounded by nothing but water, the sound of waves crashing, the light breeze blowing calmly.

Being on a surfboard is calming and exciting at the same time. The air is filled with nervousness, while paddling towards the ocean and waiting for the perfect wave. The moment you catch a wave and ride it all the way, the nervous energy dissolves and a feeling of freedom takes over your mind and body. Once you experience the feeling of being on a board and riding waves, it is hard to stop craving for more. Surfing is not just a sport, but a way of life.

T

he whole vibration about Surfing is incredibly positive, not just because of the sport or the ocean itself, but also because of the people involved and their lifestyle. They are respectful of the sea, the life within it, and

acutely aware of the environment. They are compassionate towards nature and make a conscious effort to lead a sustainable lifestyle in order to preserve our oceans and surroundings. Surfing makes us realize the impact of our actions on nature and how important it is to preserve it, now more than ever. Surfers have an optimistic view towards life and are connected with the ocean in a soul-satisfying manner.

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Ishita and Tushar hanging out in the ocean on a perfectly sunny day

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Shaka Surf Club : A heavenly creation

by Ishita Malaviya & Tushar Pathiyan

two of the talented surfers at Shaka, they offer surfing lessons and have a camp for people to stay at. These souls are connected to the ocean and have an admirable sense of existence. Surfing awakens your senses and makes you more aware of our surroundings. Living near the ocean can be overwhelming, but Ishita and Tushar have embraced

It is one thing to go surfing and

it through the flow of optimism. Having experienced the ‘Shaka’ life

experience it a few times. But falling in

myself, being surrounded by people with a great sense of being, along

love with it and dedicating your heart

with immense knowledge of this sport as well as of the ocean, was a

and soul is a different matter. Two

profound experience. Learning to live with what you have and leading

people who fell in love with surfing,

a minimalist lifestyle was my takeaway from this experience. Apart

Ishita and her partner Tushar, built a

from this, surfing is also about having fun and being in the moment.

heaven on earth, the Shaka Surf Club.

The lovely individuals at Shaka have been surfing for a long time and

Along with Nithin and Ramesh,

are a huge inspiration to the Indian surfing community.

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Surfing for the soul Mindfulness is an ability gained through practice of activities like meditation or yoga. Surfing and mindfulness are two concepts that go hand in hand. A sense of alertness is awakened by surfing and a sense of individuality regained through it. Surfers understand how the sport makes us more aware of our environment, as well as about ourselves.

Surfing is a beautiful medium to find the right balance in our lives.

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SURFING

Surfing as a sport The recreation of surfing has been around for years now. Today, it is not only a hobby for some people, but an extreme professional sport. Like any other, surfing requires a lot of practice and skills to master it. Competitive surfers use custom-made boards according to their requirements. Though these professional athletes make it look easy, doing tricks and catching big waves on different coastlines is difficult and at times, dangerous.

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Athletes Featured Ishita Malaviya, Tushar Pathiyan, Nithin, Ramesh Budhilal.

SKAT EBOARDING Location :Mumbai in Maharashtra, India.

S

kateboarding is an art that requires movement, flexibility and balance to master tricks on a flat board with rollers on the bottom. Endless hours of practice

on a skateboard, earlier on streets and footpaths, now take place mostly in skate parks, built especially for the purpose. Skateboarding is a process of trial and error. Skaters have an admirable connection to their boards. They are aware that their board is part of them and they treat it as such.

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SKATEBOARDING

Harjeet Maan performing an Ollie on his skateboard in Mumbai

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SKATEBOARDING

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T

he struggle of falling down & getting back up Dedicated practice in skateboarding

automatically involves taking falls. Falling down and getting injured is a part of the process and skateboarders get used to it over time. These athletes also make a conscious effort to learn how to fall without injuring themselves. It builds confidence and develops reflexes, making for better skateboarders.

SKATEBOARDING

SKATEBOARDING SKATEBOARDING

Azhar acing a grind in a skatepark in Mumbai

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The first skateboards were made by literally hammering skates onto boards of wood.

The skateboard included a box that the rider could hold onto so they could balance and steer. But over time, the box was eventually discarded and the skateboard was born.

Skateboarding is about tricks performed skillfully on a skateboard. Of course, it takes a lot of practice to master them. Each trick has a unique name like Ollie, Kickflip, or Grind.

Mastering a particular trick after attempting it hundreds of times, brings immense stoke to skateboarders and pushes them to try new ones. Skateboarding is now gaining popularity in cities where skate-parks are being constructed, encouraging more people to this sport.

Above - BMX athlete Fuzail Khan crusing around on a skateboard

Sagar Waghela having a gnarly practice session at the skatepark

SKATEBOARDING

‘The life changing gift’

R

olling smoothly on a skateboard, skateboarders would use footpaths, roads, and railings, basically any place they could, to practice on. Since then, the

world of Indian skateboarding has greatly evolved. Skateparks are being built in cities, giving skateboarders the space they need to practice. An athlete from Mumbai, Azhar Hussain (right) has been a part of the skateboarding community for a while now and is one of the well known skateboarders across India. “My skateboarding journey started in 2012 after receiving a skateboard as a gift from my friend. At that time, I knew nothing about the sport. That’s when I started skateboarding.”

Azhar was the first Indian to represent India in the South Korean International Competition of Skateboarding. “This sport means a lot to me, it has given me a purpose to do something with my life. Because of skateboarding, I have become nothing to something”, he said.

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Athletes Featured : Azhar, Harjeet Maan, Akash Gandhi, Sagar Waghela.

Location : Mumbai in Maharashtra, India.

B

MX is short for Bicycle Motor Cross

The freestyle BMX riders take part in several

which was originally just used to

well-organized disciplines. However, in other

refer to “BMX Racing�. This slowly

forms of freestyle riding, there are no specific

developed into a term for BMX Freestyle as

sets of rules, skills, and creativity. This sport

well. Freestyle BMX involves various styles

includes different types of air tricks such as

like Street, Part, Dirt, or Flatland. Most BMX

tabletop, superman, tail whip, bar spin, backflip,

athletes practice a a bit of each style to learn

front flip, and many more on a BMX bicycle,

different techniques. Generally, skateboarders

which make for extraordinary watching.

and BMX athletes co-exist in the same spaces, skating and riding together. BMX is still quite a small community, but we see immensely talented individuals in it, who ride every day to skilfully learn different tricks and traits in this sport.

BMX Fuzail Khan moseying around on his bike

Nikhil Dhon in complete control of himself and his ride

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Nikhil Dhon : “We all used to share one BMX bike. Those were the best days, we used to ride all day!”

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Left - Nikhil Dhon sending it hard on a sunny afternoon in Mumbai

B

MX is a relatively new concept for India. Not many people are aware of this sport yet. Mumbai is the only city in India where BMX athletes can be seen

riding, often on the streets or in skateparks. They practice every evening, learning and mastering new tricks. Each rider has a unique style of riding. Their love for this sport can be seen with the amount of effort they put into it. A sport that involves a bicycle is not generally considered dangerous or extreme, but BMX involves high speed and requires great skill to maintain proper balance and consistency. It has a high-risk factor for injuries, but then again, every extreme sport comes with its own risks. Crashing is not fun, but it’s a part of it, and accepting injuries is the beginning of actually experiencing the thrill of this sport.

N

ikhil Dhon (left), a talented BMX rider from Mumbai shared his story. He said, “I started riding about 8 years ago. I always loved riding

bicycles and I used to watch X games on ESPN. But I started riding BMX when I moved to Navi Mumbai and met people who were into BMX. We all used to share one bike. Those were the best days, we used to ride all day! BMX has affected

my life in many ways. I met lifelong friends through BMX, the best people. I got to travel because of it. BMX road trips are the best. It truly changes you as a person. I forget everything that is wrong with this world when I ride. When I land a new trick it’s the best feeling in the world.” Just like Nikhil, BMX has greatly impacted the lives of other riders as well. The tremendous talent portrayed by these individuals is now gaining respect and support.

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Devendra & Nikhil on their BMX bikes, sharing a laugh or two

BMX Left - Devendra Rajpurohit stands proud with his BMX bike

Right - A sequence of BMX athlete Devendra performsing a Tailwhip effortlessly

“Tailwhip foot jam is a trick in BMX which involves 3 things. Jumping and putting the front foot on the front wheel from the opposite side, jamming it from moving further. To push the tail of your bike allowing it to spin 360 degrees on

Send It : Tailwhip Style

O

n a beautiful sunny afternoon, a

a stationary axis. To catch the spinning tail with your other leg which is hanging in the air and land the other foot which was jamming the front wheel and you land clean and flat. It

group of BMX riders meets up in

involves a lot of balancing,” says Devendra. “This

a skatepark in Mumbai. Wowing

is one of my favorite tricks. You are never sure if

everybody around him, BMX rider Devendra Rajpurohit gets on his bike and smoothly performs a Tailwhip, which is a BMX trick and

you will land it every time you try it and that is what makes it challenging and fun. It gives you a lot of injuries on shin and knees, sometimes

is insanely difficult to pull off. This is exactly

even face but the joys of learning new tricks are

the type of trick which these riders practice to

farther more than the pain, and I’m glad now I

perform every day.

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can do it with ease.”

BMX

Avesh Sayed on his wheels in a skatepark in Mumbai

Irzaan Khan with zealot bike, in Mumbai

Nikhil Dhon soaring above the ground after hitting a jump on his bike

Athletes Featured Irzaan Khan, Nikhil Dhon, Devendra Rajpurohit, Fuzail Khan, Avesh Sayed.

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