Jonty Rhodes laughs when informed {that a} surfing occasion right here feels incomplete with out his presence. The former South African cricketer has at all times waxed eloquent on his love of India, and has over the years, enthusiastically taken to the waves in Kovalam and Mamallapuram.
“This is probably the first town where the fishing community and the surfing community have come together for surfing. A consistent wave, and great people have enabled the growth of the sport here, which is what I love about Mamallapuram,” says the ambassador for the Surfing Federation of India (SFI).
Having seen the emergence of surf stars in the coast right here, Jonty is filled with reward for younger Harish in group India, and a number of different youthful athletes.
“In India, many surfers come from humble backgrounds and it is not just about them and their surfing, but about the contributions they have received from the community and what they are giving back,” he says.
Jonty says for him, it isn’t simply to see the rise in expertise and the way their expertise as an athlete advance, however how at such a younger age they really feel accountable to their communities. “You don’t get to see this often in any sport across the world,” he says.
Likening the ongoing ASF Asian Surfing Championships 2025 to the IPL, Jonty says that like cricket which is performed so otherwise and in various situations throughout the world, this competitors will allow the athletes right here to study so much.
“You can practise as hard as you want, but you learn so much in competition. All these surfers from across Asia have developed skills from every wave they ride, and the best way for us to develop surfing in India is to carry on competing against surfers from different parts of the world,” he explains.
As somebody who has made the sea right here his dwelling as a surfer, Jonty asks surfers throughout the world making a beeline for Mamallapuram, each for sport and leisure to convey alongside their ‘A Game’.
“It is a fast, powerful wave. So, I don’t just come here and think it is going to be a holiday. It is going to be a great, fun wave and it has got some real power. The people and the community… lovely!”
