CHENNAI: Covelong, a sleepy fishing hamlet on the hot but picturesque Chennai coast, is known to be one of the busiest surfing destinations in southern India.
Under normal circumstances, it would be teeming with human population during peak summer, followed by Asia’s biggest surfing festival held annually in the last weekend of August. Away from the cacophony of the city, Covelong is synonymous with eclectic music, yoga and surfing during these months.
But with the coronavirus plunging the world into a crisis like no other, the village was forced to go into a monochromatic mode. Surfing schools shut were shut and small businesses collapsed. However, now, with Unlock 4.0 showing us signs of normalcy, students are returning to surfing lessons.
"It’s been more than two weeks since we opened the school. Around 10-15 kids, including foreigners living nearby, have been coming to surf. But we are not complaining about the number," says Murthy Meghavan, co-founder of Covelong Point, a surfing school in this village.
Limping back
With the pandemic depleting our optimism about safety, parents remain apprehensive. “At least two out of 10 parents are worried about their children taking a dip in the water now. They ask us whether surfing is safe during these times and if there are chances of their kids getting infected through the water. I tell them that immunity only builds when you surf in the sea,” shares Murthy. Following the protocols issued by the state government, he ensures that equipment like surfboards are disinfected before and after every use.
Owing to the pandemic, Murthy says that only a limited number of restaurants have been functioning in the village. To ensure this non-availability of dine-in facilities does not stop the surfers from attending the classes, he has devised a new package: surfing with breakfast. Those who opt for this package will be served food prepared by his wife after the early morning class.
"We serve idli, prawn fry, fish curry for breakfast. I’ve received a positive feedback for starting this package," he shares. Murthy hopes that the numbers will improve. For now, he prefers to train only a handful and tread with caution. "Safety is our priority. It’s better if we have only a limited number of surfers coming to school now."
Lending a hand
Murthy has been involved in social service for the past four months. Since the lockdown, he has been providing meals, every day, to at least 10 homeless people, and to those who are mentally or physically disabled, or are old.
This initiative was born when the lockdown forced him to close his school, and his income took a hit. To keep his family afloat, Murthy and 15 other surfing instructors started fishing. Murthy earns around Rs 40,00-50,000 per month when the school is open. However, with fishing, he was able to make only around Rs 15,000 a month.
"I learned that people were struggling for a meal during the lockdown. Hence, I decided to help them with whatever I could. Every day, my wife prepared food for them with the catch I got. It’s important that we look after each other," he emphasises. It’s a relief that the lockdown could only press pause on surfing, and not humanity.