Airah was born in 2018 to Navab Shareef Khan and Rafeea Mohammed. Hailing from Lakshadweep, the family lives in Kochi, Kerala, selecting a residence close to Loop Skatepark.
“To land a trick in skateboarding, we have to practice it at least 100 to 200 times. This develops a ‘never give up’ attitude in a child. The child needs a high level of concentration.”
“This focus is inevitably going to translate to other areas in her life, like academics.” He added. “Skateboarding also teaches children a lot of patience,” adds Rafeea.
Airah’s interest in a conventionally masculine sport was born purely out of her childlike passion — free from the knowledge of gender norms or active defiance against them.
Rafeea and Navab reveal that parenting is a never-ending learning process. But their biggest teacher is Airah herself. They also follow a policy of transparency and open communication.
The skateboard scene in Kerala is growing exponentially, and Kochi’s skateboarders are excited at the prospect of sharing the spirit of the sport with as many people as they can.