English
Australia's vibrant traditional beach culture makes surfing a common hobby for many Australians.
In many other parts of the world, even with significant exposure to ocean or water, it's a different story.
These are the waves heard on the beaches of Pakistan's largest city, Karachi.
It's located on Pakistan's southern tip, right on the Arabian Sea, in a country with around 1,000 kilometres of coastline.
Sounds promising... but these aren't exactly what you'd call prime surfing conditions a lot of the time.
The waves are often either small and messy, or whipped up by dangerous cyclone swells.
So, whilst reasonably nearby countries like Sri Lanka and the Maldives are global surfing hotspots, Pakistan isn't.
However, a group of local young men are looking to change that ...even just a little.
“We learn by ourselves, yeah, we have no coach, no anything. We just learn by seeing some videos, watching videos, of our favourite surfers, like, you know, professional surfers. I just learn from them.”
That's 21-year-old Attiq Ur Rehman.
He's part of a poor coastal community called Bulleji that usually makes a meagre living through fishing, or acting as lifeguards, as Attiq once did, for more wealthy citizens when they choose to enjoy a day at the beach.
His father, Mohammad, makes around 150 dollars a month through fishing... with which he has to feed a family of ten.
He wants Attiq to do the same thing so he can get married and support a family of his own.
Attiq has loftier ambitions, though.
Since the age of nine, he's wanted to be Pakistan's first-ever professional surfer.
He's founded a community that calls itself the Surfers of Bulleji.
They now number about fifty people, some as young as eight, and they've recently gone viral on social media.
One of Attiq's group is 24-year-old fisherman Mujahid Baloch.
He says, like Attiq, he's a self-taught surfing enthusiast.
Urdu, then translated* “Here in this village, no one has taught anyone swimming or surfing. Everyone is teaching themselves. I watched someone who was older than me surfing, and I learned the skill and told others this is the way to surf.”
The group say they idolise the American surfer Kelly Slater, and wish to match his skill.
They certainly can't match his equipment right now.
As one might imagine, surfboards are not exactly in plentiful supply around here.
Mujahid says even a piece of foam that was found at sea was turned into a surfboard by the group.
He says they sometimes find discarded surfboards in large containers of junk brought to Pakistan from around the world, which they buy and repair using basic materials like glue and resin.
Attiq says the local lack of knowledge of surfing sometimes borders on the comical.
“For me it is impossible to get these boards because there are no shops, equipment. Actually, no one knows what is this, that’s the question. No one knows what is this. Many people say: 'What are you doing guys? This is a skateboard?’”
The group shares about 25 surfboards between them, which Mujahid says they have to make last quite a while.
Urdu, then translated* “If a board breaks, we will repair it. We will repair whether it is broken from the middle or side. Because we don't have surfboards here.”
It doesn't stop Attiq, Mujahid, and their Bulleji friends from dreaming big.
Attiq admits they wouldn't mind some help.
"We need a professional trainer. As a coach, they come here and train us. Maybe they will like our surfing and surfing skills. We need more; we need more learn to about the surfing. Yeah, we want to go to the international level like Olympics, like Asian champions, like international champions.”
The International Surfing Association has 116 member nations.
War-torn Ukraine and landlocked Switzerland are amongst them...but Pakistan isn't yet.
However that's not not doing to stop the dreams of Attiq and his friends.
“Hopefully our boys, the Surfers of Bulleji, community guys, get good medals and get good achievements for their surfing."
Italian
La vivace cultura delle spiagge tipica dell'Australia fa del surf un hobby comune a molti australiani.
In molte altre parti del mondo, anche con una significativa esposizione sull'oceano, la storia è diversa.
Queste sono le onde che si sentono sulle spiagge della città più grande del Pakistan, Karachi.
Si trova sulla punta meridionale del Pakistan, proprio sul Mar Arabico, in un Paese con circa 1.000 chilometri di costa.
Sembra promettente... ma per la maggior parte del tempo non si tratta di condizioni ottimali per il surf.
Le onde sono spesso piccole e disordinate, o sferzate da pericolose mareggiate da ciclone.
Quindi, mentre Paesi ragionevolmente vicini come lo Sri Lanka e le Maldive sono hotspot mondiali per il surf, il Pakistan non lo è.
Tuttavia, un gruppo di giovani locali sta cercando di cambiare le cose... anche solo un po'.
“We learn by ourselves, yeah, we have no coach, no anything. We just learn by seeing some videos, watching videos, of our favourite surfers, like, you know, professional surfers. I just learn from them.”
Questo è il ventunenne Attiq Ur Rehman.
Fa parte di una comunità costiera povera, chiamata Bulleji, che di solito si guadagna da vivere con la pesca o con lavori come il bagnino, come Attiq faceva un tempo, per i cittadini più ricchi quando sceglievano di godersi una giornata in spiaggia.
Suo padre, Mohammad, guadagna circa 150 dollari al mese con la pesca... con cui deve sfamare una famiglia di dieci persone.
Vuole che Attiq faccia la stessa cosa per potersi sposare e mantenere una famiglia propria.
Attiq, però, ha ambizioni più alte.
Dall'età di nove anni vuole diventare il primo surfista professionista del Pakistan.
Ha fondato una comunità che si fa chiamare “Surfisti di Bulleji”.
Oggi conta circa cinquanta persone, alcune di soli otto anni, e di recente sono diventati virali sui social media.
Uno dei membri del gruppo di Attiq è Mujahid Baloch, pescatore di 24 anni.
Ha detto che, come Attiq, è un autodidatta appassionato di surf.
Urdu, then translated* “Here in this village, no one has taught anyone swimming or surfing. Everyone is teaching themselves. I watched someone who was older than me surfing, and I learned the skill and told others this is the way to surf.”
Il gruppo dice di idolatrare il surfista americano Kelly Slater e di voler eguagliare la sua abilità.
Di certo non possono eguagliare la sua attrezzatura in questo momento.
Come si può immaginare, le tavole da surf non sono esattamente abbondanti da queste parti.
Mujahid ha raccontato che persino un pezzo di polistirolo trovato in mare è stato trasformato in una tavola da surf dal gruppo.
Ha detto che a volte trovano tavole da surf dismesse in grandi container di cianfrusaglie portate in Pakistan da tutto il mondo, che acquistano e riparano usando materiali di base come colla e resina.
Attiq ha dichiarato che la mancanza di conoscenze locali sul surf a volte sfiora il comico.
“For me it is impossible to get these boards because there are no shops, equipment. Actually, no one knows what is this, that’s the question. No one knows what is this. Many people say: 'What are you doing guys? This is a skateboard?’”
Il gruppo condivide circa 25 tavole da surf, che Mujahid deve far durare per un bel po'.
Urdu, then translated* “If a board breaks, we will repair it. We will repair whether it is broken from the middle or side. Because we don't have surfboards here.”
Questo non impedisce ad Attiq, Mujahid e ai loro amici Bulleji di sognare in grande.
Attiq ha ammesso che non gli dispiacerebbe avere un po' di aiuto.
"We need a professional trainer. As a coach, they come here and train us. Maybe they will like our surfing and surfing skills. We need more; we need more learn to about the surfing. Yeah, we want to go to the international level like Olympics, like Asian champions, like international champions.”
L'International Surfing Association conta 116 nazioni membri.
L'Ucraina, devastata dalla guerra, e la Svizzera, priva di sbocchi sul mare, ne fanno parte... ma il Pakistan ancora no.
Ma questo non fermerà i sogni di Attiq e dei suoi amici.
“Hopefully our boys, the Surfers of Bulleji, community guys, get good medals and get good achievements for their surfing."
