Jonty Rhodes on why he loves the surfing revolution in Mamallapuram

Jonty Rhodes laughs when told that a surfing event here feels incomplete without his presence. The former South African cricketer has always 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 here, Jonty is full of praise for young Harish in team India, and a host of other younger 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 just to see the rise in talent and how their skills as an athlete advance, but how at such a young age they feel responsible 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 played so differently and in varying conditions across the world, this competition will enable the athletes here to learn a lot.

“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 someone who has made the sea here his home as a surfer, Jonty asks surfers across the world making a beeline for Mamallapuram, both for sport and leisure to bring along 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!”