Howdy!

Today we're going to hear from Ishita Malaviya, India's first female surfer and Co-Founder of the Shaka Surf Club (where I will be going this November - yeah!).  Ishita is going to share her thoughts on being brown.  Those of you who are from South Asia, or other parts of Asia, will understand the stigma tied to tanning and getting darker in the sun.  This has been cited as one of the main reasons why many females in Asia in fact do not partake in water sports; they have a real fear of getting dark.  And being dark skinned is not considered beautiful.  In many cultures, the whiter you are, the more beautiful you are considered.  Here's what Ishita has to say on the matter.  What are your thoughts? 

"Growing up I always dreamed of becoming a surfer someday. Like almost everyone else in India, I just assumed that there were no waves here and that I'd probably have to go to California one day to start surfing! To this day I have people asking me, "What?! You can surf in India? But are there waves here?" India is a country with more than 7,000 kilometers of coastline. Now that I think about it, it seems pretty silly of us to have assumed that our waves weren't good enough to be surfed! It begs to ask the question, why is it that surfing is still practically unheard of in India? A country with a population of 1.2 billion and yet our beaches are completely empty! And even if it were a crowded beach, you'd only find people sitting on the beach, rather than swimming in the water and cooling off from the sun.

From my experience, I've realized that there have always been two major reasons for people not taking to the water: the fear of drowning (completely understandable) and the fear of getting tanned! I still remember when I first started surfing, my family was of course concerned about my safety but they were also apprehensive about me getting dark. Not because they thought I looked any less beautiful but because they were always worried about "what the neighbors would say!" They had good reason to, because whenever I would run into someone on the street or at school, friends or even acquaintances, the very first sentence they would greet me with, would  be, "Oh my God Ishita! You've become so dark!" And they didn't mean that in a nice way. This one time my professor at university walked up to me and said,"Have you been working in a charcoal factory?"

Indian mainstream media has always glorified fair skin and this reaction wasn't new to me. Although such remarks were quite hurtful at first, I've now learned to find humor in them. While on one hand I have people sympathetically giving me home made de-tanning formulas (without my asking) on the other I have European surfer girlfriends who are always complimenting me on my skin color, saying they wished they had the same.

As a surf instructor, a lot of my students ask me how long it will take for their tan to wear off! It's not uncommon to find fairness creams being advertised here both for men and women! Big time bollywood actors are endorsing big brands who pay them big money to convince you that being fairer will increase your chances of getting a better job or finding a suitable spouse!
I feel grateful that I'm a well educated, modern woman who doesn't succumb to such pressures. But, I definitely empathize with those who do and understand where they're coming from. I feel that surfing can have a very positive influence in India in many aspects. Surfer girls to me, are naturally beautiful, daring and confident individuals, who make great role models! I think that as more and more girls start surfing in India, new role models shall emerge and it won't be too long before these desi surfer babes shall be making waves all over the world!"

                                                                                                                                                            -  Ishita Malaviya

Interested in hearing more of Ishita's story?  Give to our Surfing Possibility Campaign and help shine the spotlight on South Asia's first female surfers.  We will be traveling to India and Bangladesh in November to produce short documentary profiles, photographs and writings on these courageous women.