There’s a good chance that surfing addicts in India might be following the thrilling proceedings of the 2013 Hyundai National Surfing Championships in New Zealand. But for those who want in on the action too, Puducherry is your best bet. For at the Kallialay Surf School in Puducherry, brothers Juan and Samai Reboul have been conducting surfing classes for over 14 years.
It all began in 1995 when the two young Spanish brothers, Juan and Samai Reboul, settled down in Auroville, Pondicherry, with their parents. Aged nine and 10 respectively, their love affair with the sea began when they were introduced to surfing by surfing pioneers who lent them their own surfboards. Several years later, the duo decided to make their passion their profession, and started conducting surfing classes to the residents of Auroville and Pondicherry. Their teaching skills were further honed with stays at their friends’ surf school in south-west France. Armed with experience from international events, the brothers came back to their Indian home and the Kallialay Surf School (KASS) was created in January 2009. For the uninitiated, surfing is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the wave, which is carrying the surfer towards the shore. There are several types of surfing: longboarding, shortboarding, and stand up paddle surfing. All you need is good swimming skills and a sense of adventure. Juan Reboul, co-founder, KASS, says, “Our aim is to introduce surfing to the people of India. Surfing is a great sport and very self-satisfying. We are here just to have fun and enjoy (laughs).” With over 14 years’ experience, the brothers’ intimate knowledge of the waves, knowledge of English, French, Spanish and Tamil along with professional, imported equipment (foam-boards with rubber fins) makes KASS an ideal choice for amateurs to learn the sport. Juan tells us about the school’s Tamil connect, “Kallu means ‘rock’, and Alay means ‘wave’. Thus, Kallialay was formed.” Surfing equipment includes surfboards, neoprene wetsuits, urethane surfboard leashes, dry bags and a surfboard bag, if possible. Current trends are leaning towards organic, environment-friendly materials, with shirts and shorts usually in blue, brown, and green, reflecting the colours of nature. While any time of the day or year makes for a good time to surf, enthusiasts prefer the winter, due to fewer tourists being on the beach. Children as young as six can sign up for the sport. The challenges, of course, include marine life (snakes, jellyfish, urchins, stingrays), drowning, wipeouts (falling off the board), riptides, leash tangles, the sea bed (which can be extremely hard if you fall from a height), crowds and newbies, and spiders which could be hiding in the surfboard covers. Four years later, the first edition of the Kallialay Surf School’s Summer Swell Challenge 2012 held in September in Pondicherry, was a big success. The international amateur sporting event, put together by the brothers and Bodhi Café, saw 70 competitors from all over the world, including the likes of Chris Wood (Australia) and Marcus Rosha (Brazil). Juan reminisces excitedly, “The event had a huge impact on the surfing culture in India. The second edition, held later this year, is going to be the best international competition in India’s surfing history!” Juan modestly tells us that he came first in the Indian Surfing Competition Mahabalipuram Classic 2011 in the 20-40 age-group category. The growing success of the sport has led to the mushrooming of several schools in India. Juan confides, “Although we were one of the first surf schools in India, we are happy that there are plenty of surfing schools, but we do not compete with them. We represent what we do and we do it better every day.”
A single lesson costs Rs 800 and surfboard rentals are priced from Rs 300 onwards with a deposit of Rs 2,500. Details: surfschoolindia.com