A sport and lifestyle: The many fruits of surfing in Bangladesh
Surfing is relatively new in Bangladesh and yet it has already helped people ride its wave to a better life. But can it be more? Or are the challenges too many?
"Aai deu oro no dorai!" (I'm not afraid of the waves) exclaimed Nur Mohammad as the salt wind ruffled his unkempt hair. In fact, he is in love with the waves, and at just 24 years of age Nur Mohammad leads No Dorai Surf Club (NDSC) - arguably the most popular surfing club in the country.
Does the name ring a bell? It should, a critically acclaimed film under the same name rolled out back in 2019 and Nur's surfing club played a vital role in the production of the movie.
Nur fell in love with the waves and subsequently with surfing when he was only seven years old and has been actively involved with the sport since he was 10. But this is not just his story. This is the story of an ancient sport in its infancy in Bangladesh and how it is helping a community uplift itself.
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Surfing is relatively new in Bangladesh. Earlier, only foreigners visiting Cox's Bazar beach would be, sporadically, seen surfing.
For Bangladeshis, surfing began in the hands of Jafar Alam, a Cox's Bazar local, back in 1995. Then in 2002, he started his own surf club named Surfing Bangladesh. In fact, Nur too learned the ropes of surfing through him.
Jafar's eminence as a surfer earned him awards such as a trophy by the Governor of Hawaii Dukaiyana. On 8 August 2009, he became sixth amongst 130 international surfers at the International Freedom Surfing Contest that was held in the island state of Hawaii in the United States. Then in 2015 he left the waves of Cox's Bazar behind to settle down in the United Kingdom.
That left a void in the surfing scene, according to Nur Mohammad. It took until 2017 for the void to fill in. Foreign professionals that came to aid the Rohingya refugees began surfing in Cox's Bazar as a mode of recreation. Nur felt inspired again seeing them and continued the sport alongside foreigners. The foreigners pitched in their own ideas and expertise to enrich the sport in Bangladesh.
When these foreigners saw enthusiasts like Nur taking to the sport, they donated boards and accessories.
The surfing community and a surf kids programme
Nur now looks after the No Dorai Surf Club along with hazel-eyed Sayed Hossain and Sagor (Bangla namesake of the very thing they strive to tame). Sayed and Sagor are both senior students of the club and together with Nur, they look after the club's 30 young learners.
There are a total of four surf clubs (including NDSC) in Cox's Bazar and they look after a total of 110 children. This is an effort, Nur says, to get children to learn the ways of surfing from an early age.
It may look like just fun and games, but surfing is a demanding sport. They want these children to grow up fit and strong with honed surfing skills creating a large community of surfers in the near future.
However, turning these children into great surfers is not the only goal.
Two years ago, the World Food Programme (WFP) started "Surf Kids' Programme '' with a sport-for-development approach. This was officially called "Host community-based environmental action, education and nutrition programme."
It was designed to provide learning and skills-based training to children and youth enrolled in the Bangladesh Surf Girls and Boys Club (and other local surf clubs) in Cox's Bazar. And then Jaago Foundation was brought on as a WFP partner, and together established the "Surfers' Megher School."
While Jaago covers the mentorship and education aspect of the programme, WFP provides the monthly in-kind food assistance to address the students food security and nutrition needs.
Surfing as a tourist attraction, hobby or passion
Not only is surfing a new sport for the Bangali beach-going crowd, but it requires a lot from surfers in terms of commitment and body strength. Not exactly a skill that can be picked up in a few days' time.
So naturally, local tourists don't really take to surfing. "Those who can't surf, need to go through a basic training period of at least four days. Tourists hardly stay for four days, so they cannot really be taught to surf," said Nur.
"Just one day of surfing can leave a new surfer sore throughout the body. Altogether, tourists hardly surf," added Nur.
And there is also the factor of distance. For those living beyond Cox's Bazar (and particularly those who cannot arrive at the beach on a whim), the sea beach remains a far-away destination. Distance is, perhaps, another reason as to why surfing is not quite catching on in Bangladesh.
And lest we forget about the cost. It is an expensive sport (or hobby). NDSC has surfboards that range between a few thousand taka to lakhs in price. Even a second-hand epoxy surfboard can cost up to Tk45,000. Short boards (small surfboards) are priced at Tk65,000 and longboards above Tk1 lakh. Other accessories like anti-slip waxes, board fins and tethers can also cost thousands.
Surfing lessons from a trained instructor costs Tk800 per hour. And it requires many hours of practice to hone the craft.
The high entry cost into surfing deters most people. For those already in the surfing scene, the general lack of funding and support stalled their rate of progress.
The scene has, however, altered a little compared to the earlier years, thanks to WFP, Jaago and other foundations that came forward to help. Now girls are seen riding the waves alongside boys, enabled by programmes like Surfer's Megher School.
For the love of the waves
So what drives these local surfers? "It's all for the love of the waves. We are who we really are only when we are riding the waves; it feels like we are on top of the world," said NDSC's Sayed.
As it becomes more of a lifestyle than just a hobby. Surfers like Sayed, Nur and Sagor, who are building a life around surfing, are a testament to that lifestyle.
Everyone who is a part of this close-knit community also feels a sense of belonging. Children who are part of Surfer's Megher School are seen hanging out with the rest of the surfers day in and day out.
The waves are not always the same. "In calmer seasons, the sea is tranquil. For surfing, rough winds and high-peaking waves are the best," said Sayed.
Although it is not possible to artificially generate waves big enough to ride in the ocean itself, wave simulators can be set up in swimming pools. Again, that too is extremely expensive. Many countries use similar facilities to keep surfers riding the waves all year round.
Organisation and foundations can only assist so much. This community needs assistance from the government too. Like any other sport, surfing needs every bit of the recognition it can get from authorities to make big on a national scale and, eventually, the global scale.
"Surfing is also an Olympic sport. I don't understand why it is not given proper value," lamented Nur.
