As dawn broke, the sky blushed in pink hues and the sea shimmered in gentle ripples. The waves carried fibre boats with fishermen from the Coromandel coast. On reaching the shore, they carefully spread their nets on the sand, marked with footprints, and began picking through them. They untangled the fish and crabs caught in the knots of the net.
To their left, donned in different coloured jerseys were athletes — national and international — holding their fiberglass surfboards, soaking in the first rays and bracing to step in the water.
The fishermen raise their salt-cracked thumbs toward the surfers, gesturing “all the best”. Arani, a fisherman, says, “The sport has enabled many of our children to visit foreign lands and win medals. We are proud of them. As they achieve, the community develops.”
Mahabalipuram stirred to life with surfers practising for the upcoming ASF Asian Surfing Championship 2025, set to take place from August 3 to 12. The event, sponsored by Government of Tamil Nadu and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, will see the participation of 20 countries in four categories. CE spent a morning with participants, who talked about surfing in India, the importance of gender-equal participation and the bigger trophy — Asian Games 2026.
A revolution
Surfing in India has been growing for a while, but the pace of it changed in Tamil Nadu when the TT Group, a leading conglomerate in international air cargo management, trucking, hotels, and hospitality, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), showed interest in starting Surf Turf Kovalam. “When we started the first surf school in 2012, we wanted to help fishermen in Kovalam learn a sport. Over the years, as they grew, a lot of them moved out and opened their own schools. That was part of the programme,” says Arun Vasu, chairman and managing director of TT Group and the president of the Surfing Federation of India.
Today, the students trained by the school have started more institutions — 12 in Kovalam and three in Mahabalipuram. “It’s helped the entire ecosystem in the village. Because of the schools and the Kovalam Surf Fest, many talents have emerged. Today, if you look at our top surfers, it includes Kishore Kumar from Kovalam; he’s been with me for six years,” adds Arun.
Kishore’s mother was employed at Surf Turf, and one day, he tagged along with her. Talking about his interest in the sport, the 16-year-old says, “I visited the school after study hours and during weekends. I started off with boogie boarding just for fun, but when I noticed the participants and the competitions held there, I was inspired to take up this sport.” He adds that his game has levelled up in the last three years after his participation in championships held in Bali, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
To this, Indian national team coach, Samai Rebol, adds that in the past year, a lot of kids have been picking up the sport, and most of the players who made it to the Indian surf team are from the fishing community. He says, “They are very comfortable in the ocean, and it is a very common environment for them.”
The community could be “comfortable” in the ocean, but do they cheer the same when it is a girl riding the waves? The answers may vary. Kamali Moorthy, who has been in the sport for 12 years, says she has been trained hard and even speaks of harder truths. “I’m the only girl surfer here. The boys are supportive, but it gets lonely sometimes. I’ve taken classes for girl kids, but the community still doesn’t support their participation. They cheer when we win, but do not support us when we fall,” she rues. Her words carry the fatigue of fighting for the waves in the sea and off them while on the shore — yet she stands up and stands out because of her love for the sport. “I hope one day it [change] will happen,” she says.
Despite navigating through these hardships, for her, Mahabalipuram is more than home. It’s her identity. “I’ve been surfing since I was three because my uncle was a trainer and he inspired me to take up this sport. I fell in love with the first wave I caught,” she says, her feet crusted with sand, zinc applied on her face, hands, and feet, while resting before riding the waves again, hoping they carry her to the victory podium and help secure a spot in the Asian Games.
The shifting sea
“This is their home wave,” adds Arun. “It gives them a distinct edge. The wave conditions in Mahabalipuram are similar to those in Japan, where the Asian Games will be held next year. It’s an ideal training ground, both physically and mentally.”
Indeed, Mahabalipuram isn’t new to surf circles. The waves soar to seven feet one day, and on another, they mellow down — but they have changed over the years. Tayin Arun, a surfer, sheds light on how climate change has an impact on changing oceans. “The waves used to be better before, but now, because of people constantly using the ocean — adding rocks in the middle of the sea, moving the sandbanks — the waves are affected a lot. That is why you can’t predict the waves during the competition,” he says, adding that he hopes everyone takes care of the ocean so that surfing can last longer.
New coast and competition
While local athletes build muscle and grit, foreign surfers, too, are finding their rhythm in these changing waters. Kanoa HeeJae Palmiano, a Korean surfer, notes that the waves were unpredictable during the first three days of his practice. Adding to the list of concerns, Johnjohn Chan, a Taiwanese surfer, says, “There is a strong offshore wind and jellyfish in the sea, which is a little challenging.”
After days of trying to understand the new sea and its movements, Kanoa — scanning the sea with focused eyes and firm hands on his board — says, “The sea has lined up beautifully for practice. It’s clean, glassy, and it’s easier to connect maneuvers and make it all the way across.”
For coaches like Keenan Roxburgh of Chinese Taipei, a Taiwanese team, the training goes beyond the board. “I encourage self-reflection and shared learning. Sometimes it’s not just about surfing, but it’s about adapting to new food, new people, new environments. That flexibility feeds into performance.” He records the participants’ performances, analyses them, and guides them on how to move across.
“Each athlete here has their eyes on the Asian Games. But that’s just the stepping stone,” Keenan says. “The real goal is the Olympics. That’s the glittering horizon.”
Feeding on this idea, Kamali, Tayin, and other young surfers from across Asia are all ready to paddle towards one wave, one heat, and one competition at a time.