Surfing in India
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Surfing in India
Kodi Bengre, Ishita Malaviya
Deepthi Sanjiv, April 20, 2019: The Times of India
From: Deepthi Sanjiv, April 20, 2019: The Times of India
From: Deepthi Sanjiv, April 20, 2019: The Times of India
How a woman surfer changed lives in a tiny Udupi village
India’s first woman pro surfer Ishita Malaviya and friend Tushar Pathiyan’s club is bringing in tourists and opening the world to fishermen and local kids
Kodi Bengre (Udupi):
At dawn, 13-year-old Deekshith Bhaskar walks up to where the waves lap the beach. Kodi Bengre, a village on the shores of the Arabian Sea 16 km from the temple town of Udupi, is starting a new day. And it’s glorious. ‘Baywatch’ could well have been shot.
Deekshith, one of the dozens of children who are members of the Shaka Surf Club here, started when he was 6 years old. His mother uses surfing as a bargaining chip to get him to study. In this rural community, surfing has touched and gradually transformed lives.
It all began in 2008 with Ishita Malaviya and Tushar Pathiyan were students at Manipal, 60 km north of Mangaluru. A common interest in surfing drew them to Mulky nearby, which was emerging as a global surfing destination. This is where they learnt most of their tricks. The duo then began travelling around the coast looking for surfing spots. One morning they came across Kodi Bengre. “In addition to surfing, we also found what we thought was a likely spot to start a surfing club of our own where locals and visitors could come together,” says Ishita, 30, India’s first woman professional surfer. In 2012, she and Tushar co-founded the Shaka Surf Club, roping in villagers to provide facilities to visitors.
From humble beginnings, Kodi Bengre has carved out a reputation among international surfers. There is also a skate park now. Nearly 3,000 people live in Kodi Bengre and three villages nearby. Most hope that surfing will go on to making them and their children prosperous in the days to come. They also see the positivity that comes with the sport -- their kids these days speak English, live a more healthy and active lifestyle. Already, over 1,000 people visit the club annually, of which 300-400 linger on, sometimes for weeks. Each surfing lesson comes for Rs 1,500. A three-day stay costs Rs 9,000 per person.
The club is on the banks of the Swarna River, separated from the Arabian Sea by a road and breakwaters. It is the breakwaters that give the waves their height. Free lessons on surfing, kayaking and skateboarding are given to locals, including children. Hundreds like Deekshith have begun to surf, which their parents feel will bring them money soon.
Nithin Kharvi, 23, a fisherman till recently, began surfing six years ago. He says it changed his life completely. “I used to go fishing in the sea. It was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, but there are very few options for people here. I am now a surfing instructor. I plan to go abroad and learn to design surfboards,” he says. Nithin earned enough to recently travel on a self-funded trip to Bali, one of the world’s surfing destinations.
Surfing in India is growing as a sport and a source of livelihood for many. Surfing Federation of India was established in 2011 by a group from Mantra Surf Club, Mangaluru, India’s first surfing club. More than 15 schools or clubs, including Shaka and Mantra, are attached to the federation. Beaches like Sasihithlu in Mulky near Mangaluru, Covelong beach near Chennai and Mahabalipuram are now recognised as premier surfing destinations. Other spots are in Kerala and the Andaman and Lakshadweep island groups.
The Shaka club’s main offering is Camp Namaloha (from ‘namma’ which means ‘our’ in Kannada and ‘aloha’ which means hello or goodbye in Hawaiian), which has been held annually for a decade now. “We work with local families for nearly seven months a year. Surfing season is generally from October to May. Each family has a fixed responsibility of providing breakfast, housekeeping and laundry services, lunch and dinner for visitors. It gives them a source of additional income, and surfers get to relish authentic Tulunadu dishes,” says Tushar.
Now, international skateboarders conduct workshops for students of Government Higher Primary School Kodi Bengre. A participant at the Namaloha camp can volunteer for various community development activities. The government school’s kids say they have been exposed to yoga, break dancing, surfing and lifeguard activities.
For Deekshith, his elder brother Vishal, Nithin’s cousin Shiban and other youngsters of the villages here, Shaka Surf Club is not just about the community being rejuvenated. They love interacting with visitors and international surfers, learning English and other foreign languages while discovering the world. Someday, hopes Deekshith, he too can travel to other countries like Nithin. Meanwhile, a new wave is coming and he has to go out and catch it.
