The Republic of the Maldives: A Country, not a Country Club
Say NO to surf exclusivity in the Maldives
A quick glance at our Maldives Surfing page will tell you that The Republic of the Maldives is not short on pretty amazing waves. Northern, central, and southern atolls boast the kind of stuff that dreams are made of—awesome waves everywhere you look. But should an abundance of incredible waves open the door to auctioning off some of the premier breaks to the highest bidder?
Sadly, this seems to be a question that the Maldivian government is actually having a hard time answering. The plan to build an exclusive boutique surf resort on the formerly uninhabited, and government owned, island of Thamburudhoo has led to a distress call.
S.O.S. (Save Our Surfing) is the call coming from Maldivian surfers, and it has taken the form of an official online petition available here. The petition is a rallying cry under a basic banner, “Say NO to surf exclusivity in the Maldives.” Although the government might see the issue as endlessly complicated, the response from Maldivian Surfers couldn’t be any simpler: The waves should be for everyone.
The world class righthander Sultans in Thamburudhoo, click here to know more…
With the issue receiving a lot of attention from surf media outlets, including a pretty thorough article from Surfer Magazine last September, the Maldives Surfing Association has been working to help the government grasp the problems that the sale of surf spots creates. As the government seems to be making their decisions with tourism in mind, the MSA has worked to demonstrate how the privatization of surf spots will lead to unsustainable tourism. The petition is a step in this process.
Hugo Savalli surfing Honky’s; © L. Masurel. Click here to know more…
While there are a lot of ways to engage, analyze, and discuss the controversy, the preservation of Maldivian culture and nationality, and the tourist experience of that culture seem to be at the heart of the issue. Surfing is capable of providing a certain degree of cultural enrichment. In most places surfing (actually riding waves) remains an equalizer—the rich, poor, domestic, or foreign, all come together in the lineup. However, to commercialize the Maldives Islands to the point of restricting even Maldivian access to some of the best attributes in the islands is turning a country, into a country club. Closing access to a few waves from tourists who prefer the blissful freedom of a boat trip to the confines of a single resort is a shame, but closing access to some of the best waves in the Maldives from Maldivian surfers is downright injustice.
To do something about it, answer the S.O.S. Say NO to surf exclusivity in the Maldives. Sign the petition at: SOS Petition Website
