BENGALURU: Mayukh Choudhury may be born in Tripura but his true home lies in the waters. An avid swimmer and former captain of his educational institute’s water polo team, Choudhury’s transition to surfing came quite naturally.
The next few months for him are now lined up with multiple trips to the coasts of Mangalore or Chennai, in a bid to make the best of the pre-monsoon season.
“Being on the surfboard requires my 100 per cent presence of mind, so it instantly pushes aside all other clutter,” explains the Bengaluru-based co-founder and CEO of Milaap, a healthcare-focused crowdfunding platform.
Having grown up swimming in small ponds back home, Choudhury’s knowledge of swim strokes and technicalities grew during his college days, at IIT Chennai.
“Being a part of the water polo team helped me develop deep friendships with others and these are the friends I’m still in touch with today,” he says, adding that the same friend who introduced him to swimathons, also told him about surfing, back in 2016.
What started off as sporadic trips in 2017 eventually became a regular hobby the following year, with Choudhury having explored the waters of Mangalore, Chennai, Kovalam and Puducherry in India, besides also trying the activity in Sri Lanka, Philippines and California.
Ever since his first attempt, Choudhury managed to strike an instant connect with surfing.
“It was an inherent feeling,” explains the 36-year-old. So much so that no wipeout (a fall from a surfboard) was big enough to make him turn his back on the sea.
“Each fall came with the realisation of what not to try the next time I got back on the board,” he says.
This drive to keep catching waves eventually took him to the waters of Sri Lanka, particularly Mirissa, Weligama and Hikkaduwa.
Of these, the last proved to be most challenging, since Choudhury spent half a day in the water but caught no wave. “This was for a more advanced level but the trip taught me that I could plan trips around surfing. I also learned how to negotiate coral breaks,” he says.
The surf stories don’t end there and it’s hard to miss Choudhury’s smile every time he talks of one. His California trip was the first time he dipped his toes into ice-cold water.
“This was in the month of June so it was a bright sunny day with the spotless sky. But the second you step into the water, there’s a 30-degree difference in temperature,” he explains, adding that though he was there for a work trip, he managed to find time to catch some waves.
“Your feet are frozen, your head feels cold. But if given a chance, I’d definitely try it again.”