Surfing
Surfing
6 things you didn’t know about surfing in India
Betcha never knew these facts about Indian surfing!
India has some great waves
India's 7500 km coastline provides many spots for surfing. The largest waves are usually seen between May and September, the pre-monsoon and monsoon season. Some well-known spots for surfing are Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Kovalam (Kerala), Covelong (Tamil Nadu), Auroville (Tamil Nadu), Varkala (Kerala), and the Andaman and Lakshadweep islands.
Lakshadweep's home to the most beautiful waves.
© [unknown]
In 2014, there were eight surfing competitions in India
Starting in February 2014, surf festivals were scheduled throughout the year. Several workshops were also conducted.
Indian surfer rips through during the Covelong Poi
© Abhishek Khan
India has over 11 surf schools
You can't not have beautiful waves with no surf schools/clubs. Almost all of these offer accommodation and training. Many of them also offer yoga.
Kerala
Kovalam Surf Club, Kovalam
Soul & Surf, Varkala
Karnataka
Shaka Surf Club, Kodi Bengre
Cocopelli Surf School , Gokarna
Mantra Surf Club, Mulki
Andhra Pradesh
Lonely Surfers, Vizag
Tamil Nadu
Kallialay Surf School, Auroville
Covelong Point, Kovalam
Mumu Surf School, Mahabalipuram
Bay of Life, Kovalam
Goa
Surf Wala, Goa
Vaayu, Goa
Soul and Surf in Varkala, Kerala.
© Benedict Stenning
Great talent comes from India's fishing community
Fish at night, surf in the day. This pretty much sums up the simple lifestyle of most Indian surfers. Many of them are fishermen who have an existent relationship with the sea. Some of the most exciting ones to watch are Appu, Dharini and Raghul.
Fisherman surfer Dharini.
© Abhishek Khan
Surf boards made in India
Surf boards are really expensive to buy. With the dollar exchange rate and numerous taxes, surf boards in India retail at exorbitant prices.
Last year Mahabalipuram-based Aussie surfer Dave Hearns took matters in his own hands and set up a surf board shaping workshop - Temple Surfboards. Under his tutelage, local fisherman surfer Santosh Moorthy became one of India's first surf board shapers.
In January 2014, Samai Reboul of Kallialay Surf School set up his own surf board shaping workshop as well.
Champion surfers come to India very often
Think about all the best surfing photos and videos you see. They were probably shot at one of the best spots in the world. The part that you didn't see is that they're awfully crowded. Like 50 surfers in the water trying to catch the same wave. Popular spots become easily crowded. Pro-surfers visit India for a soul surfing experience. They get the whole wave to themselves.
Surfers who've visited India are Craig Anderson, Chippa Wilson, Daniel Jones, Dave Rastavoich, Kalani Robb, Mitch Coleburn, Brendon Gibbens, Trevor Gordon, and Warren Smith.
India features in Craig Anderson's 2013 30 minute video - Slow Dance.
There are at least five documentaries on Indian surfing
India's first surf short film, A Rising Tide, made by Shaka Surf Club and Mosambi Juice Production was released in December 2013. The film featured all the people who've built the surfing scene in India. Watch the documentary here.
The 52 minute non-profit documentary by French filmmaker Kévin Perrée was about travelling 2600 kms across India to discover different surfing spots. Watch the trailer here.
Ishita Malaviya, India's first female surfer, along with a bunch of foreign surfer girls travel southern India documenting the ways in which surfing, yoga and ecological creativity are bringing hope and fueling change for local people and the planet. Watch the trailer here.
Covelong Point, the first surfing village in India, and the story of one man, Murthy, a fisherman who inspired change within the village via surfing post the 2004 tsunami devastation. It was made by an Israeli filmmaker and surfer who co-organizes Covelong Point Surf Contest. Watch the trailer here.
The first ever surfers were women in Polynesia. Brown Girl Surf, the project which produced this video, is named in honour of them. This one's technically not a documentary but still packs a powerful message. Watch it here.
