How a community of surfers is changing the tide for the sport in India

Keeping surfing lessons accessible is what has sustained an interest in it

Since the last few years, summer mornings seem to bring something unusual to the otherwise tranquil beaches of Udupi, in Karnataka. Short, sharp, and shrill sounds are often heard interspersing the crashing waves that populate the milieu around these beaches. While they might seem like a nuisance at first, these sounds are mere expressions of joy and encouragement. They are ‘surfing calls’ that everyone who knows their way around the water belches out to acknowledge a good ‘ride’. 

Early days 

The momentous rise of surfing in India is backed by a generation of good-hearted surf clubs dedicated to propagating the way of the water to a broader audience. The Shaka Surf Club, located on rural Udupi’s Kodi Bengre Beach, is a pioneer among these in many ways. Co-founder Tushar Pathiyan talks about building the club from the ground up. “If you go back a couple of years, you could Google ‘surfing in India’, and nothing would show up. Ishita (Malaviya, co-founder and India’s first professional female surfer) and I are first-generation surfers, like almost every surf school owner in the country. It's the drive and love for surfing from the early few surfers that have brought the sport to where it is.” 

When Pathiyan and Malaviya started the Shaka Surf Club back in 2007, it was because of a mutual epiphany, a realisation that grew stronger as the years rolled on. “Ishita and I both became fascinated with surfing back in college, where we met Jack Herbert, a.k.a Surfing Swami—the original pioneer of surfing in India. Shaka started out as a way for us to continue living the lifestyle we had come to cherish and love. We could not imagine working a 9-5 job and not surfing daily. Shaka was a way for us to turn our love for surfing into a sustainable lifestyle.” says Pathiyan. Kodi-Bengre itself played a crucial role in shaping Shaka in its early days. 

When Pathiyan and Malaviya first arrived at the village, they discovered that the kids from several poverty-stricken households along the beach had never seen the ocean as a source of joy. “It is a fishing village. It’s natural for kids and even parents to only consider the ocean as a source of livelihood, just a place where the grown-ups go to work.” Pathiyan mentions. “We started teaching kids in the village way before we started the school, and when we officially did start the school, we continued with the same culture of keeping surfing free and accessible to children living in our beachside community.” 

A slow start

In the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, a similar idea was simmering in Dr. Suyash Rawat’s head. He believes his journey towards founding the exciting Mumbai Surf Club started in his childhood. “I have always been a water baby. I learned to swim in wells and ponds growing up and moved on to the open waters when I traveled to Goa with my friends while in college. I remember watching people surf on the TV as a kid. I was so fascinated by it that I once asked my parents for a surfboard as a birthday gift. The funny part is, I didn’t know anything about surfing at the time.” 

Over the years, Rawat’s professional pursuits took up most of his time, and surfing became a long-lost hobby. He rediscovered his love for the sport on a fateful vacation to Kerela in 2018. “I finally tried surfing under professional guidance on a trip to Kovalam. To say I was obsessed with it would be an understatement. I got back to Mumbai after the long weekend, and all I could think of was surfing again.” 

But the one thing standing in his way was the city’s seemingly ‘unsurfable’ coastline. “When I talked to some people who surfed professionally, they mentioned Mumbai’s beaches being too uneven and outright ‘unsurfable.’ I was dejected, but I still regularly visited Rajodi Beach [near Nalasopara] by my house in search of hope. I thought to myself, it can’t be that bad, right?” It wasn’t. Rawat soon realised that he could, in fact, surf the waves at Rajodi. He hit the water as soon as he became sure of the fact. “I remember people sort of crowding around the shore to see what I was doing when I started surfing. It made me realise that there are so many people in the city who’d like to try it out, just like me. That sparked the idea for the Mumbai Surf School in my head.”

Like the Shaka Surf Club, Rawat’s surf school has served a noble purpose for the local communities at Rajodi right since its rather nascent inception. “It was an opportunity for young people from the local fishing villages to find employment near their homes and not travel for hours daily like we did.” The club has also been helping young kids hone and practise their love for sport without having to travel too far into the city. “Over the years, we have had local kids train and participate in national competitions. I hope for them to represent India internationally one day,” says Rawat. 

The future is bright

When asked about the future of surfing in India, Rawat presents an optimistic response. “I’m sure everyone who tries it will fall in love with it. There’s nothing not to like about surfing. Now that it’s an Olympic sport, I think we’re looking at a big chance.” Pathiyan mirrors these thoughts, saying, “Competition is a language I think most Indians understand, and so it will bring people to be interested in the sport, maybe even motivate them to give surfing a try. The stories of surfers currently competing in India are amazing. I see them becoming ambassadors of competitive surfing and the surfing lifestyle on a larger scale within the country in a few years.”

Also Read: How rock climbing in India is gradually finding its foothold

Also Read: India’s gravity-defying community of highliners is growing rapidly

Also Read: The rising popularity of skateboarding in India