Canvas City officials like to present their city as a model modern metropolis; clean streets, efficient infrastructure and living expectations maintained and curated to a carefully controlled standard. Under the watch of the Artistic Control Unit (ACU), public spaces are becoming regimented, standardized, and increasingly difficult to distinguish from one another.

But something far less orderly is also gaining momentum in Canvas City. Across rooftops, suspended wires and the reaches of the city, crews of young skaters are building a culture of their own away from the carefully monitored streets. 

It’s called spark skating.

Striking the Spark

Spark skating is an unsanctioned and mostly uncontrolled underground sport built around modified electric skates. Exactly where the technology came from depends on who you ask; Some claim the first pair was an advertising stunt that went wrong, only to inspire a group of extreme sports enthusiasts. Others say it emerged in response to increased surveillance on the street level and so people looked for less visible routes through the city. Whatever the origin, the group that brought spark skating to the attention of the wider public was Ignition, an artistic collective that used spark skating to access the far reaches of Canvas City to spread their message, their music and performance.

By then the Artistic Control Unit had already begun tightening its control over public gatherings, performances and unauthorized creative work. Ignition’s appearances could no longer be announced openly without the ACU turning up and dispersing the gathering. Those hoping to see Ignition perform began finding other ways to exchange information and communicate.

Private message boards, invite-only forums and encrypted group chats appeared to share sightings, trade rumors and co-ordinate around performances. And then these spaces became about more than just Ignition.

Going Underground

People began sharing skate modifications, discussing routes through the city and posting recordings of their own attempts. Some wanted the same fame and recognition that Ignition had gained, others wanted to share their own message, and of course there were those interested in more nefarious and lucrative uses. As more people took up spark skating, informal crews began to form. 

At first these groups were loose and temporary; friends meeting up to attempt a difficult route, tag a prominent billboard or challenge another group to a dance battle. Recordings were uploaded to the same underground channels that were being used to track Ignition, and audiences began to follow other skaters and crews.

As viewer counts grew, so did the competition.

Post Ignition

Ignition eventually disappeared from public view, there was no final performance or official announcement, their appearances just became less frequent until they stopped altogether. 

By then however, spark skating had grown beyond any one group. New crews took Ignition’s place on the underground feeds, competing for views and what began as scattered performances and informal challenges gradually became something of an underground league. There are no official rules or governing bodies, yet a broadly accepted structure has emerged around how crews challenge one another, how the battles are scored and how influence changes hands.

Crews compete over tag spots and territory, choreographing their battles as much for those watching as for the crew they face. A successful performance can introduce an unknown crew to thousands of viewers, and a loss can impact an established crew for weeks as the footage is clipped, reposted, and memed across the messaging boards. 

Undercurrent

Undercurrent is a channel that combines live coverage, recorded footage, rankings, rumors and commentary from across Canvas City’s spark skating scene. It reports on upcoming challenges, unfamiliar crews, internal disputes and ACU activity. 

Its host, Strawberry Short Skate is a relatively new presence on the scene but she has built an audience quickly. Using a network of drones, she tracks victories, shifts in reputation and territory, and very little happens in the league attracting her notice - and her commentary. 

For an unknown crew, appearing on Undercurrent can provide an immediate audience. A favorable mention from Strawberry can bring a sudden rise in followers, but her attention is not necessarily supportive. Strawberry is interested in whichever outcome produces the most compelling content - she can spend days building up a promising new crew, then take as much enjoyment in documenting their failure. 

Whether Strawberry simply reports on the scene or has begun shaping it is hard to determine - the crews compete for victories and viewers but regardless of who loses, Strawberry still has the audience.

A league without rules

Some residents of Canvas City see spark skating crews as vandals and hooligans, yet an increasing number have begun to follow these artistic battles in private, sharing recordings between their friend groups, and developing loyalties to particular crews. 

The ACU continues to denounce spark skating as a public safety issue and an organised form of disruption. They remove graffiti, shut down feeds and arrest skaters when they can identify them, but the wider scene is proving more difficult to dismantle than officials anticipated.

No single person or organization appears to be in control, when one feed is taken down two more appear to take its place.