Who does not like festivities by the sea? Since 2013, Chennai has been rather proud of the annual Covelong Point Surf, Music and Yoga Festival. The festival also has loyal fans flocking in from Bengaluru, Puducherry, Delhi... Naturally, the disappointment was huge when it had to take a break for the last two years given the pandemic. However, the phone at Surf Turf has been ringing with eager attendees calling to enquire about the next edition.
“In 2021, when we organised the surfing competition, there were enquiries about the festival as well,” says Arun Vasu, president of Surfing Federation of India, managing partner — Surf Turf, and managing director of TT Group. (The three organisations are also organisers of the event). He had to disappoint the callers, because last year’s was a competition-only event and strictly for participants. This time, he has good news: The Covelong Classic - Surf, Music and Fitness Festival is coming back on August 5, 6 and 7..
“Ever since the announcement on Surf Turf’s social media page, barely a week ago, people have been fighting for stall space,” laughs Vasu, who is finalising the stalls and the lineup for live music and entertainment. This edition will have a stage inside Surf Turf, facing out towards the beach.
Apart from the usual flea market, and stalls teeming with food and activity, there is a focus on fitness this time. Which explains why there is a slight change in the name of the festival. The idea is to showcase different forms of activities one can practise. There will be yoga, volleyball, slacklining, and Chennai-based Wild Warrior will organise obstacle course racing sessions on the beach. A new addition will be the skateboarding competition.
At its core, the event remains a serious competition, featuring National and Asian surfing and stand-up paddling competitions with participants from across India, and Maldives, Bali, Malaysia, and the Philippines, to name a few.
“The format is changing a bit, now that surfing is in the Olympics,” says Vasu. The focus is on grooming young talent aged 15 and under 15, from around the country.
The last edition of the Covelong festival in 2019 saw a footfall of 20,000 across three days. Vasu is not sure what to expect this time, given that COVID-19 still continues to be a point of concern. But then, it’s tough to ignore the call of the sea, wind and surf.
For details, check Surf Turf India on Instagram.
