Vikas Gupta is convinced that Surfing trend is fast catching on across India
After paragliding, bungee jumping, jet skiing, rafting, trekking, mountain climbing and so on youngster s are now showing remarkable interest in surfing. According to the economist, surfing industry is massive. Surfing industry is estimated to be $8-12 billion with major markets being USA, Australia, Spain, France, Britain and so on. The number of surfers worldwide is more than a whopping 35 million! This makes us wonder where India, which is the fastest growing economy having a long 7000 km coastline and 1.2 billion population, would rank in this sport.
An interesting fact is that according to theEtymology Dictionary the word ‘surf’ originated from ‘suffe’ in 1695 meaning the coast of India. This raises the possibility that we could be the creator of this sport and have just forgotten about it over the centuries.
One can literally count on finger tips people interested in surfing or so thought one. According to Showkath Jamal from Bay of life, “Since 2011 there has been a steady increase in the adoption of this sport… the lack of access to good institutions has been the main reason for people staying away. Now it’s changing with many institutions coming up with Bay of Life leading by example…” According to Nick Kelly from Soul and Surf, “Most people who try surfing for the first time get a massive sense of invigoration straight away. Once you catch that first wave you feel an attachment to new life energy, and one which is free, pure, and stimulating to the soul.”
The surfing events which mostly established in the past 5 years are ‘fun pack’ festivals which combine surfing with music festival, yoga, kayaking, wind surf, slack line, boat racing and many other sunrise and sunset activities not just for a particular age group, but the entire family. Most of these events are hosted by surfing schools which are accredited by Surfing Federation of India, recognised as the National Governing Body for Surfing in India. Here is a list of few events.
So, why has it been lagging behind for so long? Well surfing is a nature based sport. It is probably the only sport in the world that requires complete support of nature. It’s not like cricket where grounds can be made. You cannot make waves; you require a mix of ingredients. You need to first find out where we get right kind of waves, cleaner water and not very hot weather to enjoy this sport. After all this, we requiresafety infrastructure, commercial and financial will to make it happen.
People in India have become more experimentative in all spheres’ of life which includes adventure sports. Surfing also connects one to the openness of nature and its glory. And yet, surfing is largely a seasonal sport. Surfing can be enjoyed only when we get waves more than 8 feet, which is primarily during the pre-monsoon or monsoon (June to September). It is also considered to be an expensive sport. Not only will you have to travel to the few surfing places in India but the gears are also not cheap to purchase. Costs: Rs 6000-20000, however renting costs about 500-1500 for surf boards for a day.Moreover this sport requires at least basic training, which is thankfully developing in India very recently. Here are few places where surfing is trending commercially and the charges of training in India
Surfing and in general water sports have not received acceptance in our Indian culture yet. When I proposed this idea of going for surfing lessons, I was ridiculed by my parents and reminded of tsunami and floods and reports of people drowning in the sea and so on. Speaking on how they maintain safety standards, Showkath Jamal says, “We have a carefully picked team of individuals consisting of watersports instructors, award winning lifeguards, ocean experts, geologists, fitness experts, outdoor professionals, first responders and marine biologist. They are constantly trained and certified by institutions around the world. Stringent safety standards and equipment, high etiquettes and unflinching compliance protocols keeps our students and customers safe in the sea making it enjoyable for them and us.”
As you can see, there are several options for you to fill your adventure of challenging the ocean. So swell your enthusiasm and start surfing!
