18-year old Kobzarro (an alias) likes riding trains. But unlike most people who opt for a cushy seat inside a train car, her preferred spot is a radio antenna located on top of the vehicle’s roof.
“I’ve got only one minute to climb on top of the train,” says Kobzarro. “My every step is calculated and I cannot make a mistake.”
Kobzarro is a rising star of Russia’s growing community of trainsurfers – a movement that is sweeping the country and attracting hundreds of young daredevils going out of their way for a rush of adrenaline.
Her risky pastime began when she ran away from her over-protective parents’ home at the age of 15 and found herself at a train station. Since then she has become an avid transurfer, with a Youtube channel and a growing following.
“For me this is not just a hobby, it’s a philosophy” Kobzarro says. “When I am trainsurfing I create my own rules and no one can control me.”
Still avoiding police and security at the station is essential, not only because the sport is illegal, but also because trainsurfers value the art of being unstoppable above everything else.
Another challenge is dodging the overhead high-voltage cables, which is where most deaths occur.
“We’ve got a saying that a person who will fall will never ride again,” says Kobzarro.
This is why the community has put together a user manual with strict safety instructions that any self-respecting trainsurfer is required to know.
Despite that, Russian authorities say that last year more than 100 young people died while riding on top of trains. And that number is projected to climb with the spread of the sport.
But Kobzarro is unfazed by this fact. “I am not scared at all. I feel absolutely free.”
This is the first episode of our new weekly series entitled, “Feels,” in which we track the human experience using data and technology.
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