India’s First Coastal Zipline – Flying Konkan Zipline is redefining beach adventure, to go beyond water sports, the venture is also creating job opportunities in the quaint beach town and driving skill development among youth and women.
Flying Konkan Zipline Devgad Zipline is the first adventure sports activity of its sort in India’s coastal area, and it was launched and opened to the public earlier this year.
Co-founded by IT engineers turned entrepreneurs, Vaishnavi and Srikant Joil, coastal ziplining is introduced to the Indian people as a new adventure activity along the coast, affording spectacular vistas of the pristine coast and an exciting departure from the exclusive ‘water sports’ category.
Adventure sports tourism has grown in popularity among travellers of all ages and backgrounds over the last decade. Among them all, ziplining is one of the most popular, safe, and exciting activities for people looking for an adrenaline rush in a comparably safer setting, while taking in the natural beauty of the region.
And, while India now boasts various ziplining alternatives, including famous places in Rishikesh as well as others in Rajasthan, Goa, and even Maharashtra, the Indian coast has remained ziplining-free thus far. But the Flying Konkan Zipline is altering everything!
The Flying Konkan Zipline began as a novel notion in 2016, and it ultimately took shape and appeared in January 2021, after years of rigorous study, planning, approvals, paperwork, and trials. However, the epidemic and lockdown in 2020 proved to be a watershed moment in the venture’s evolution.
Speaking about the journey and the vision, Vaishnavi Joil, Co-Founder, Flying Konkan Devgad ZIpline, said, “Devgad has been our family native and we have spent several summer vacations as children, relishing in the mangoes and exploring the beach. However, during the lockdown when we moved here to work out of our family home, I became acutely aware of the lack of opportunities for the youth and the high rate of unemployment. Also, the fact that although equally picturesque when compared to some of Konkan’s popular tourist destinations, Devgad had not witnessed any tourist flux unlike its neighbouring towns of Malvan and Ratnagiri. While we were already working on the zip line idea, we decided to make it count for the local community and worked around a plan to offer training and employment for the local youth as well as rope in local women to curate a wholesome tourist experience, needed to put Devgad on the tourist map. In line with this, we have envisioned a lot of new offerings under Flying Konkan and the zipline is just the first of several such initiatives.”
Devgad is a charming tiny beach town on the scenic Konkan coast, and the Zipline provides stunning views of the beach and ocean. Flying Konkan Zipline, perched at a height of around 280 metres above sea level and with a total length of 1885 metres, is a cutting-edge setup that boasts wire rope manufactured of Usha-Martin steel with a thickness of 12 mm.
The landing spot is 40 feet above the ground and is reached through a customised steel landing ramp with a stairway constructed on it. Aside from that, every safety equipment is manufactured by internationally recognised manufacturers that are known for outstanding quality and safety requirements.
PETZL, the world’s largest manufacturer of mountaineering equipment, supplied the harness, pulley, joco, and sling utilised. The carabiners used are from the Madrock, Edelweiss, and PETZL brands, while the necessary safety gear and helmets are from the Zip rider brand.
Aside from Zipline, Flying Konkan intends to open a surfing school to broaden the appeal of water sports beyond just amusement. She also hopes to give skills and opportunities to local children who may become teachers and volunteers via the surfing school.
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