For Andy, Soul & Surf has always been about connection — to people, to places, and to the ocean. What began with a chance meeting and a cancelled flight became a decade-long journey of friendship, surf, and community. It’s a reminder that when you take a chance on something that excites you, good things tend to follow.
Words by Andy Magnall | 3rd December 25
December 2009. Lanzarote airport. Surfed out and sun frazzled, my friend and I were not exactly thrilled about heading back home to northern European winter. Waiting to check-in to our flight we started talking with a friendly English couple in the queue. Then the announcement came. Snow in London. Flight cancelled. The couple were nice enough to invite us to stay at their place till the flight left the next day. They seemed pretty cool so why not? It turned out they were house-sitting a small mansion a short drive away. We were shown to our individual rooms with king sized beds and en suite bathrooms each. We shook our heads in disbelief at each other. That night over dinner and beers they mentioned some friends of theirs that had just set up a yoga and surfing retreat in Kerala.
The man, the myth and the legend. Rakool is the kind of person you never forget for all the right reasons. Your day is always going to be better when he’s part of it. So many classic memories and days spent chasing waves with him. I think he may be the most barreled man on a foam board in India. I remember watching him absolutely sending it on this one particular monsoon swell we had. He had the backside barrel (pigdog) stance absolutely wired as he dropped into these bombs and always with the biggest smile on his face. What a hero.
Reminiscing on the trip a week after arriving home I checked out the pink one page website for Soul & Surf. Tropical waves, colourful food, yoga and coconuts. One day.
Five years go by. My job at the time wasn’t floating the proverbial boat anymore and a late September cold snap reminds me to put escaping British winter as a high priority. The pink website re-surfaced after a search for ‘Surf Guide’. Their ‘Surf Assistant’ volunteer role supporting the local surf team sounded fun. I wrote to them and Ed and Soph liked the story about us meeting their friends in the Canaries. The chance to share something I had been passionate about since childhood felt like it could be fulfilling. Why not?
I arrived in Kerala curious to see and learn about the land my grandma was born in and to hopefully ride a few tropical waves with some new friends. The humidity was a warm hug down the airplane steps. Motorbikes, scorching chai, giant elephants, huge coconuts, temples and more vibrant colours than I had seen in one place all mashed together. ‘God's Own Country’ they called it. Raff and the boys were equally as welcoming as they showed me round the cliff top garden overlooking the ocean.
Competition time at the point was awesome to see the local crew showing us what they could do. At that time of year the wind is normally onshore by mid day. The day of the competition came and the gods answered our prayers. Waist to chest high peelers and offshore winds all day. Unreal.
Amongst the first people I met was a surf coach named Nick, who arrived a couple of days before. At the end of the first day we were both suffering from sensory overload. We agreed there was something magic here. Even if we never set eyes on any waves for the duration of our trip, it didn’t matter at all. This land and its people were alive. But the waves did come, and a lot more than I imagined.
One standout session was with just Raff and Nick at Edava. Head high plus barreling perfection. We called each other into some of the best waves I think any of us had ever seen. High fives shared as we rotated on wave after wave and kept going till we couldn’t. The kind of session you almost can’t believe is happening.
Those first few months in Kerala would start me on my surf coaching journey with them that would lead to Sri Lanka and now Portugal a decade later.
I made friendships on that first trip there that still last to this day. I haven’t been to Kerala for many years now. But it's never far from my mind.
The people of Soul & Surf
So what does it mean to me?
Community. A community of people that are looking for something similar. Something real in a world fast becoming more artificial. Real connections, quality over quantity. A deeper appreciation of the natural world and ways we can interact with it; particularly the blue watery bit. Shared experiences with friends new and old and passing it on. Simple.
I think it’s about taking a chance on something that excites you and going along for the ride. Because who knows what good things might happen. Right?
P.s Nick might not be with us anymore but every time I’m out there about to catch a set wave I can still hear him shouting out “Get there son!”. Thanks for encouraging us and showing what it means to be a Soul Surfer. Slide in peace brother.
