As you read this article, young skaters from Mumbai and beyond are busy warming up, putting on their roller skates and perfecting their glides to put their best foot forward for India’s first rooftop speed skating championship. The location, however, is a tad filmy — at BKC-based Jio World Drive-in’s open-air theatre, where more than 300 amateur, state and national-level skaters from across India will lock horns.

An initiative by The Skate Academy and Jio World Drive, Skating in the Skies is open to children who are five and above. Ajay Shivlani, founder, The Skate Academy, who grew up skating at Shivaji Park and is a world record-holder in the sport, shares that he’s always wanted to create experiences that give skaters a sense of joy. Unfortunately, the sport does not offer much career growth in India, he adds. “Which is why we started our competitions — to enable a healthy, positive experience, and this rooftop speed skating championship was envisioned for the same reason,” explains the coach and international skating examiner.