On Pakistan’s southern coast, group of surfers chases waves, their goals

Attiq Ur Rehman, 21, walks with his teammates along the beach as they prepare to surf at Turtle Beach in Karachi, on September 4, 2024. —Reuters
Attiq Ur Rehman, 21, walks together with his teammates alongside the seaside as they put together to surf at Turtle Seashore in Karachi, on September 4, 2024. —Reuters

KARACHI: Attiq Ur Rehman is decided to observe his dream to change into Pakistan’s first skilled surfer regardless of his father’s concern for his future, an absence of kit and the messy waves close to Karachi.

“I don’t care concerning the cash proper now. I simply wish to compete,” says the 21-year-old, shrugging off his father’s plea to take up fishing so he can get married and assist his household. “It is my surfer perspective.”

Rehman’s household are a part of a poor coastal neighborhood in southern Pakistan that often make a residing from fishing or as lifeguards watching over extra prosperous residents of Karachi once they come for a day on the seaside.

His father makes the equal of $100 a month to feed a household of 10 via fishing.

“I informed him a thousand instances (to cease browsing) however he nonetheless does not hear,” stated Rehman’s father, Muhammad Rafiq.

Mujahid rides a wave at the end of surfing season, at the Turtle Beach in Karachi on September 4, 2024. —Reuters
Mujahid rides a wave on the finish of browsing season, on the Turtle Seashore in Karachi on September 4, 2024. —Reuters

Rehman was a lifeguard however gave it up to focus on his browsing, which he began aged 9, and based a brand new neighborhood that calls itself “Surfers of Bulleji”.

The group has grown to round 50 and have gone viral on social media in a rustic the place cricket and hockey are the principle sports activities.

The group consists of browsing fans from surrounding coastal villages, some aged as younger as eight.

On a sunny day, their ardour for browsing is on show with the best window for waves to surf alongside a near-empty seaside near the metropolis of 20 million.

Considered one of cohort, Mujahid Baloch, a 24-year-old fisherman, first noticed browsing on social media and immediately took a shine to it.

“Slowly, via watching, we realized. Nobody taught us,” he stated.

Surfers warm up and stretch as they prepare to surf at Turtle Beach in Karachi on September 4, 2024. —Reuters
Surfers heat up and stretch as they put together to surf at Turtle Seashore in Karachi on September 4, 2024. —Reuters

Although Sri Lanka and the Maldives to the south are on world surfers’ hit lists, Pakistan’s arid 1,000km (620 miles) of shoreline is often poorly fitted to browsing, counting on native winds to generate waves which can be usually small and messy, or uncommon cyclone swells.

“When all of Karachi was being given an advisory to keep away from the ocean, and a cyclone was approaching, me and the boys had been on the brink of go to the seaside,” stated Rehman. “The waves had been excellent for us.”

Whereas an occasional visiting surfer may be a part of them for a paddle and another villages alongside the coast have small browsing teams, competitors with world friends is a problem. 

The Worldwide Browsing Affiliation has 116 member nations, together with locations akin to Ukraine and land-locked Switzerland, however Pakistan is just not on the record.

Nonetheless, members of “Surfers of Bulleji” idolise American skilled surfer Kelly Slater, whose movies they usually watch awe-struck, and want to emulate his talent.

However entry to browsing gear is restricted in Pakistan, with the group sharing about 25 surfboards and pitching in for repairs when they’re wanted.

They often discover discarded boards in giant containers of junk delivered to Pakistan from all over the world. They purchase these junked boards for as little as $35 and restore them utilizing primary supplies like glue and resin.

“If it breaks, we restore it. As a result of we do not have surfboards right here,” Baloch stated. Pointing to a bit of froth, he stated it was discovered at sea and formed right into a make-shift board. “If we discover extra such foam, we are able to make our personal boards right here,” he stated.

“Our neighborhood is getting greater and stronger, so the shopkeepers know we are going to come and hold such finds protected for us,” says Rehman.

Leave a Comment