We are so used to the cacophony of traffic horns and city noises that we have forgotten how peaceful the sound of water is.
Kaustubh Khade kayaks to escape the maddening sounds of his city, Mumbai. He loves the calm that the sea brings, he says, while speaking on the telephone from Mumbai.
On February 14th, KK, as Khade is known, will undertake a 500-km journey in the Arabian Sea from Mumbai to Goa. Proceeds from his journey will go to NGO Magic Bus, which educates less privileged children through a sports and activity based curriculum. So far, Khade has raised one lac rupees for the cause; he plans to raise 25 lac by the end of the journey.
The longest journey solo by kayak ever is by BBC presenter Helen Skelton (UK) who kayaked the entire length of the River Amazon in 2010. She kayaked 3,230 km from Peru to Brazil.
Although KK’s 20-day solo kayaking trip will see him paddling only a distance of 500 kms, if he succeeds, he will be the first to make it to the Limca Book of Records (India) for the longest kayaking journey by an Indian in the sea. He has earlier represented India in two Asian Dragon boat racing championships in Bangkok, where his team received two silver medals and one bronze.
Under Oscar Chalupsky, twelve-time world champion for surfski kayaking, Kaustubh has trained hard. By his own admission, he had been an average kayaker. “But my luck changed when I got to participate in the national championship under the Maharashtra team,” Kaustubh says.
Today kayaking & canoeing are growing fast in the international competitive sport arena, having 16 medals at Olympics and 35 medals at the Asian Games at stake. Even the 35th National Games of India, which concluded on the 14th of February, had 36 medals reserved for the sport.
KK’s love affair with tides started in Rishikesh, when bang in the middle of a rapid while rafting, he jumped into the water. He loved the whirlwind moment. “It was simply exhilarating,” KK says, confirming his affection for aquatic adventures.
While on the sea, starting early is better, Kaustubh informs. “The water is nice and clean; and the tide is low.” Over the course of his journey, Kaustubh spends his nights pitching tents in villages. “It’s humbling to spend time with the community in these villages. I am taken care of very well. The people of Mandwa, a fishing village in Maharashtra, serve great fish, for instance,”says Kaustubh.
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KK also likes the beaches of Avas and Kihin in Maharashtra. “They are pristine, and not yet populated,” he says.
Kaustubh is an IIT Delhi graduate. The 28 year old currently works for a digital startup in Mumbai. He says we should use our vast coastline more, “We have a 7500 km coastline. We should stop buying multiple cars, and buy a boat instead. A kayak at 40 grand lasts a lifetime, and is worth more joy”.
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