Despite the calmness of the lockdown, a group of schools run by surfers from the fishing village of Kovalam were launched. Now, this beach attracts enthusiasts from all over the country throughout the year
It is high tide, on a gray afternoon. Foamy waves gently caressing the shore. Two amateur surfers, dressed in bodysuits, try to catch a wave at Kovalam beach. A young boy in a yellow uniform nudges along with them: their coach.
Men paddle across the water on surfboards, turn to the beach and wait. As a wave hits them, they attempt to ‘pop’ (stand on the board) and perform a superhero pose. In seconds, they fall with a splash. On the shore, his family excitedly tries to capture a few seconds of action on camera.
It’s a typical, slow weekday afternoon in Kovalam along the Coromandel Coast. However, the scene picks up on weekends and early mornings. As the crowd grows, students line up behind their instructors with boards laid out on the sand, learning to ‘paddle’ and ‘pop’ before hitting the waves. Then their instructors, in chest-deep water, carefully guide them, persuading them to catch each wave that comes.
About a decade ago Kovalam had few local surfers, today it is part of a quiet, yet significant Indian surfing revolution.
The Fishing Village is now home to seven independent surf schools – Surf Turf, Kovalam Surfing School, Soulmate Surf School, Coco Surf School, Yellow Fin Surf School, Ocean Delight and Bay of Life – and is a popular destination with surfers from around the world. . Why is this so special?
“Kovalam has some of the best waves on the east coast. The cliffs and sand bars outside create great waves every year during surf season, says Arun Vasu, chairman of TT Group and an avid windsurfer with 40 years of experience in the water, founder of SurfTurf.
Murthy Megavan, a village fisherman-turned-surfer who now runs the Kovalam Surfing School, agrees, “You can surf here all year round, even in the monsoons. And for our boys (trainers), safety comes first. After all you are playing with nature.”
seven schools strong
Arun is one of the pioneers of this movement. He started Surf Turf (then, Covelong Point Surf School) in 2013 with musicians Yotam Agam and Murthy. “It was started as a way of giving back to the fishing community of Kovalam, and was meant as an alternative source of income other than fishing. We first started with a small rented spot in the village The response was really good and so I decided to buy a plot and set up a more permanent school,” he recalls. Although there were already some surfers in the village, including Murthy, who set up the school. With foreigners learning surfing, a formal method of training came into being: all those who were part of the school were certified and trained by International Surfing Association (ISA) coaches.
Murthy, who has been teaching village children since 2012, is at the center of this fledgling, now mature revolution. He learned to ride the waves at the age of 10 over a broken door. Wearing sunglasses and a never-ending smile, he walks though his under-construction surf school, pointing to rooms for surfboard storage, pantry, and shower areas. The white building, located just off Covelong Point beach, is nearing completion. “If all goes well, we will inaugurate it in November this year,” he says, adding that there are 10 instructors in his crew.
“The office space will also double as a counseling center for people in need, especially from the village and even nearby villages,” says Murthy, “looking at the beach and talking Would be nice to do, don’t you think?”
Will this facility (in collaboration with counselor Sheena Ramnalukkal) be available to surfers as well? “For us, a good wave is enough to clear the mind,” he says with a laugh. Be it surfing or counselling, he assured that such facilities would always be provided free of cost to the people of the village.
As the borders open, each school is attracting interest among surfers across the country, especially in Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. photo Credit: special arrangement
Schools, most of which are led by surfers trained under Murthy, have also identified five ideal points along the coast for training: Covelong Point, known as Rock Area, Village Point, River Mouth and New Point. Is. “Rock Area is not for the weak hearted. For professionals only! Specifies the idol as he points to the beach.
As the borders open, each school is attracting interest among surfers across the country, especially Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. “We had received a lot of expats before the pandemic. But after that, it has been mostly Indians,” says Arun.
move with the times
While Murthy and Surf Turf became household names over time, new establishments like Soulmate Surf School run by 33-year-old national level surfer Palani Vijayan had to take the social media route for that much-needed jumpstart. It was around the 2020 lockdown that they decided to resume. Prior to this, he was an instructor under Murthy for almost 10 years.
“I had the money to buy a board. And the confidence to do it,” recalls Palani, “I started by starting a YouTube channel and posting videos on surfing. Then followed it up with Instagram and Facebook pages. Slowly I started getting messages on these platforms. Many were among those who liked Palani’s way of teaching.His YouTube videos share information on surfing safety as well as a glimpse of the community and village.
At present, Palani says that around 200 students are taking training under him. Apart from this, floating numbers also come for different sessions. He laughs and says, “Some of them are very interested in getting pictures clicked, especially for social media. That’s why I bought a camera.”
For now, his school does not have a formal physical space, “I have rented a house near the house to hold additional boards. Depending on the sea conditions, I take the board on my bike to the relevant location and pitch a tent there. “
Arun says that as more enthusiasts explore Kovalam, it is likely that Mamallapuram, another important surf spot on the east coast, could see more buyers as well. “Around 2008-2009, Mahab used to be the most famous place, especially for expatriates. Right now, even during competitions, surfers from Kovalam and Mahab always hug each other,” says Murthy.
Arun, the current president of the Surfing Federation of India, believes that surfing as a leisure sport in India will be “huge in the next five to 10 years”. “My vision for Kovalam has always been to make it the surfing mecca of India. Coming to more schools is good for sports,” he says. As the day progresses and the learners take their colorful boards to the shores, Murthy says, “In the village, there are now 100 or more surfers – from little kids to grownups. And you’re at least 75 years old to me.” Till see you on a longboard!”
.