Surfing like many other sports in India don’t get due recognition. But that doesn’t deter enthusiastic people from playing the sport.
Here is one girl who has taken up the sport professionally. Yes, you heard that right.
Meet Ishita Malaviya, India's first ever professional female surfer!
She is a journalism student-turned-surfer who’s broken every stereotype that binds the current day Indian woman. As Ishita explains in the video, Indian women are expected to get an education, find a job, get married and then make babies. She is one girl who’s not keen on taking that route!
This video, uploaded on Vimeo by Storytellers For Good in collaboration with Brown Girls Surf, traces Ishita's journey from a slender student into a strong professional surfer. We get a glimpse into her struggle to convince her parents to let her pursue a career as a surfer; an insight into how amazed people are even today at the sight (and even thought) of a female surfer; and of course a sneak peek into the upcoming generation of surfers.
Ishita currently runs the Shaka Surf Club in Manipal, Karnataka, along with boyfriend and co-founder Tushar Pathiyan.
Surfing Possibility: India's First Surfer Girl from Storytellers For Good on Vimeo.