Here is our completely biased, top 10 list of surfers with soul in India, not the highest ranking or the most famous. The one’s who tread the line between style, grace & skill.
Words by Ed Templeton | 10th October '24
When we set up Soul & Surf in Varkala, Kerala in 2010 we were lucky enough to witness the very early days of surfing in India. The number of surfers in India back then was almost countable (in a country of billions). The passion and dedication of the pioneers in various surf communities across India has brought the attention of surfing to so many people since then.
Ishita Malaviya
So, when we sat together to name our favourite Indian surfers it was a tough one to call. We will have missed some glaringly obvious names, I’m sure. We will have overlooked some fantastic surfers. But, hey, this is a subjective list, the names that sprang to mind that represent the kind of surfers that make us fall in love with surfing all over again.
The surfers that we connect with tend to not be too competitive, not desperate to ‘win’ at surfing. They surf because… they surf. Their connection with waves looks effortless, stylish and graceful. And if they compete too, so be it.
Here we go, in strictly alphabetical order…
A great, powerful surfer - now in Ireland.
Possibly the original female indian surfer.
A young female surfer and skater making waves from Chennai.
Tapashi | Sugar | Samai | Vicky
Erni Surfboards. A soulsurfer from Auroville and (probably) also the first shaper in India
Kovalam surf club protege originally from Karnataka. Now he is one of the best surfers in India.
One of the original power surfers in the country. Big turns, big sprays.
Female surfer from Pondicherry who also runs an organic farm. Versatile and it’s evident she loves the water.
From Goa, a stylish short-boarder with a competitive edge.
A soulsurfing female longboarder from Goa.
A great longboarder from Pondicherry who also teaches in Goa.
Ajith Govind
A lot of our friends, colleagues and ex-colleagues were on the main list to begin with, which we thought sounded a bit too biased. But they are too good to ignore, so here’s an edit of some of our own Soul & Surfers past & present.
Now in Portugal, he surfs just about everything and anything and always full of stoke
About the only regular footed surfer on the west coast. A power surfer.
One of our own, the logger with STYLE
The bodysurfer, and big wave maestro. Reminds us that surf is F.U.N.
For a barrel of any size, with style a plenty.
These lists will likely form the starting point of our invites for our inaugural Community Surf Jam that we are planning for January 2025 in or round the Varkala area. Like an antithesis to the serious surf competitions, based on a format we tried in Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Sujith
Praveen
