Chennai: I was in a parallel universe on the weekend leading to the 77th Independence Day. In a country, where cricket is followed like religion, one would expect far too few takers for surfing as a sport. The horizon here in Kovalam painted a different picture albeit. The coastline was dotted with people of all age groups, a few grooving to music, others amused by the international surfers trying to tame the tide. Themed ‘Tide and Ride’, the 2023 edition of the Cavelong Classic Festival celebrated surfing, music and fitness in a grand fashion. It also marked the beginning of the World Surfing League, which India gets to host for the very first time.

I arrived at the beach astride the Jawa 42. The latest iteration pleasantly surprised me. I'll save the ride story for another time. Classic Legends have backed the annual festival for consecutive years now. The fleet of Jawas and Yezdis put on display at various places on the beach amplified the rugged look of the festival. In fact, the winning surfers of the tri-nation series between India, Sri Lanka and Maldives, held during the festival, rode home a brand new Yezdi Scrambler.

It was bright and sunny. Mercury hovered in the mid-30s but the lack of sea breeze coupled with humidity raised the fear of dehydration. The youth took it differently. Scores of young men and women braved the heat and took part in various yoga, fitness and strength training activities happening on the sidelines.

The sundowner charged things up. The weather eased a little. Footfall soared as thousands descended on the beaches of Kovalam. Chai Met Toast was the show-stopper and witnessing the Sri Lankan band Soul Food perform, the crowd erupted in joy.

For me, and the fellow journalists who flew to Chennai from various parts of the country, the festival turned out to be quite a revelation. From surfing to beach football, we did everything on the weekend until the last ounce of energy. We even rode to the Mahabalipuram group of temples on the Jawas and Yezdis. Motorcycles or cars, I firmly believe there is a sense of elegance that tags along with automobiles of the modern classics genre. They ride easy, evoke emotions and unknowingly become part of your lifestyle. Classic Legends just did that at Asia’s largest surfing festival.