‘My intention was to document this time in my life where I was not doing well mentally and how skateboarding helped with that.’
Sai Selvarajan
Editor – Writer – Director
June 2026
Can you tell us something about Texas that no one knows?
There’s nothing more beautiful than a Texas sunset in October.
You were born in Sri Lanka, lived in Nigeria and moved to Dallas when you were 10 years young. How was it like growing up in Texas?
It was great, the kids were super nice to me and really took me and taught me so much about American culture and pop culture. There was no google or YouTube, so my classmates were an open book to me.
You started skating when you were 13 but gave up because it was too hard. How or who got you inspired to skate in first place?
The in 80’s skating was really taking off in the suburbs. Everyone wanted a skateboard. My best friend had one was good, so he got me into it.
What led you to be become an Editor and Film Director?
I’ve always had a strong desire to tell stories from my perspective. Directing and editing is where I gravitated towards in film school.
You have done or worked on quite a few short films. Some were internationally recognised. Is this a stepping stone to maybe run a bigger production, a full-length movie?
Yes, the plan is to make a feature film soon. Working as commercial editor, it’s hard to get several months off to go make a feature, but I’m working on making that happen.
Thanks to Covid you picked up skateboarding again. Why?
Like many people, the pandemic gave us a lot of worry about and a lot of time to worry about it. So, I was trying to find things to do to occupy myself. I watched the Tony Hawk Masterclass episode, and he did a great job of walking me through where to put my feet and how to push off and how to stop. I realized I’d been doing it wrong, so I tried it and everything felt right. I felt so much more balanced. And there was such a rush from pushing off correctly and then just gliding over concrete with the wind in my face. It was addicting. I wanted to get back the next day and then next day. Once I learned to drag my foot and slow down, it was double amazing. I would just skate up and down this stretch of a parking lot at a high school near my house. It was so fun.
‘Every trick has a beginning, middle, and end.’
You also made a short movie about your rediscovered love to skateboarding called Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue. What was your intention to do it?
My intention was to document this time in my life where I was not doing well mentally and how skateboarding helped with that. As I did more research into skateboarding, I realized that it helps everyone in their own way with whatever challenge and obstacle they’re facing.
What did you learn about skateboarding when making the movie?
I learned how hard it is. I would see the videos on IG but never realized the hours and repetition, and bloody knees and broken bones it took to land tricks. And how nuanced a sport it is. Every trick has a beginning, middle, and end.
Is there anything that surprised you?
How inclusive the skateboarding culture is.
We can see in short sequence that you are trying really hard to ollie. Do you sometimes wish you stuck with skateboarding when you
were 13?
Yes. I don’t have many regrets in life but giving up at 13 is one of them. But now that I do skate, I feel like I’ve made good on that. I think 13-yearold me would be happy to see me out there today.
Last Question. If you could interview any person in the world?
Atita Verghese. I think she’s an incredible person and I’m fascinated with her story. I know it’s been documented quite a bit, but I’d love to sit down with her and pick her brain.