Photographer Paul Calver shoots 'Dogtown era' of Indian surfing

Surfing Swamis — A holiday to India became a trip back through time when English photographer Paul Calver stumbled upon a group of surfers giving birth to a brand new scene.

I’ve always been interested in youth cultures anchored in sport, probably as a result of growing up in the creative UK skate scene. I’ve shot established communities, from BMX racers to monster bike builders, and new emerging scenes, like the bike polo crew in London. But it was while preparing for a holiday to India in 2010 that I came across a subculture at a different stage of development.

I stumbled upon a website promoting an Indian surfing ashram in a small town called Mulki, a few hours south of Goa, and decided to reach out. I soon discovered how small the surf scene in India was. There’s the Harea Krishan surf shop in Mangalore, which sells wax and shorts but no surfboards – but that’s about it.

I think it’s important to go into a project like this with as much background knowledge as possible, but also allow people to explain things from their own perspective. I find curiosity and excitement are the best tools for this kind of project – let people tell you their story, in their own words. Luckily, when I got to India, I found that everyone was really keen to spread the word of surfing to a wider audience. People were really receptive to the camera and everyone was happy to get involved.

My approach photographically was to shoot portraits of the surfers I discovered along my journey – exploring their many reasons for choosing to enter into this culture: the teachers and young students exploring surfing as a way to keep a closer connection to nature and their religion; the entrepreneurs renting a few old surfboards to holidaymakers; and the young guys embracing surfing’s ‘sex appeal’ to enhance their chances of hooking up.

Surfing in India is a western export for sure. The surf ashram I visited is run by a group of older Californian guys who set it up to explore religion and nature via the medium of surf. On the beaches of Varkala and Kovalam (further south in Kerala) you’ll occasionally see western tourists donating their boards to the local kids (or so I’m told) and there was also talk of a Japanese guy who visits every year to teach. But the scene is growing steadily among indigenous residents too, and there are a few places now to hire half-decent boards. On first sight and after visiting many deserted natural beaches in India, Kovalam can seem a bit like the Blackpool of Asia, but after just one day, I found myself growing to like the place – sucked in by its extremely chilled vibe. There were always enough locals to make the place feel authentic.

I’ve always been an admirer of C.R. Stecyk’s Dogtown photography – the images are so raw and experimental, mirroring the scene he was documenting – and I had these images in the back of my mind when I went to India. But I wanted to take a more structured approach, hence the series of eyes-to-camera portraits.

I think authenticity is always a concern when doing any kind of documentary photography, no matter where in the world you happen to be. I guess this is why I tend to keep my portraits quite simple – eyes to camera and a background that puts across a sense of place but isn’t trying to make a statement beyond the connection you may feel to the subject. For example, the beaches in India tend to be covered in trash. I would always look for a spot that would hide this as I didn’t want to make this a part of their story. It’s definitely a concern and an area that needs to be addressed, but not something I wanted to focus on alongside this essentially positive movement.

See more of Paul’s work at his website.


Latest on Huck

Smiling person in black wetsuit riding surfboard on calm ocean with rocky hills in background.
Sport

Maryam El Gardoum is breaking new shores for Morocco’s indigenous surfers

The Amazigh Atlantic — Through her groundbreaking career and popular surf school, the five-time Moroccan champion is helping women find their places in the waves.

Written by: Sam Haddad

Dimly lit underground carpark, long winding corridor with concrete walls, floor, and pipes above.
Activism

Youth violence’s rise is deeply concerning, but mass hysteria doesn’t help

Safe — On Knife Crime Awareness Week, writer, podcaster and youth worker Ciaran Thapar reflects on the presence of violent content online, growing awareness about the need for action, and the two decades since Saul Dibb’s Bullet Boy.

Written by: Ciaran Thapar

Colourful embroidered jackets worn by two people, with skateboarder visible in background. Bright colours and graphic designs on the clothing.
Sport

Volcom teams up with Bob Mollema for the latest in its Featured Artist Series

True to This — The boardsports lifestyle brand will host an art show in Biarritz to celebrate the Dutch illustrators’ second capsule collection.

Written by: Huck

Black and white image showing a group of shirtless men socialising, some laughing.
Culture

A visual trip through 100 years of New York’s LGBTQ+ spaces

Queer Happened Here — A new book from historian and writer Marc Zinaman maps scores of Manhattan’s queer venues and informal meeting places, documenting the city’s long LGBTQ+ history in the process.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Four persons - three women and one man - posing outdoors. The women are wearing elaborate clothing and jewellery.
Culture

Nostalgic photos of everyday life in ’70s San Francisco

A Fearless Eye — Having moved to the Bay Area in 1969, Barbara Ramos spent days wandering its streets, photographing its landscape and characters. In the process she captured a city in flux, as its burgeoning countercultural youth movement crossed with longtime residents.

Written by: Miss Rosen

A person wearing a black cap and holding a sign that says "What made me"
Music

Tony Njoku: ‘I wanted to see Black artists living my dream’

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s avant-garde electronic and classical music hybridist Tony Njoku.

Written by: Tony Njoku

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.