A dense thicket of casuarina trees towers over me as the evening sun peeks through the branches. The distant sound of waves crashing at the shore makes up the symphony as bird calls add to the rhythm. Further ahead, the trees part to give a clear view of the serene beach with azure waters just beyond the shoreline. This idyllic setting is punctuated by the gentle putter of two engines — belonging to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) being ridden by my friend and I.
We are at Off Road Sports at Pattipulam, along the East Coast Road, to spend the better part of an hour riding ATVs through scenic woods and a beach path. My ride for the day is the Phoenix 200 and as I sit astride, I work the accelerator tentatively at first. The vehicle moves, but only just so. The machines need more than a gentle nudge and a driver who trusts their ability to control the vehicles. Turn the handle bar just a wee bit and it’s likely the ATV won’t head in the direction you intended. These machines need a determined control and I’m still getting a hang of it.
Nevertheless, we set off along the track at Off Road and head to a little gate on our right that leads us to the shaded path through the woods. Here, the bustle of the city and the highway cease to exist; the serenity envelops you like a warm hug and the sea beckons yonder. The ATVs chug along the path protesting every now and then when they aren’t pushed to their full potential; but as I gain more confidence and understand the vehicle better, I push the throttle a little more and let the powerful engine take over.
Speed away
Off Road Sports was launched in 2009 to offer Chennai the option of beach sports. “We have a great stretch of beach here but there weren’t too many sports along the coastline back then,” says Sunder Ganesh, the founder and proprietor. “The response was great. Back then, we had Chinese machines, but they weren’t too great in terms of speed. By 2013, we upgraded to the Polaris machines that we continue to use today.”
With over 50 machines in their stable, Off Road Sports has an ATV for everyone — from the 50cc Outlaw, 90cc Sportsman, 200cc Phoenix, RZR (ATVs with steering wheels) to the 1000cc Ranger (family vehicles). Rides are offered across a variety of tracks — beach, woods and the one kilometre track inside the Off Road campus. Riders are usually encouraged to do a trial run first based on which they are allowed to either ride with a guide riding pillion or independently. Clearly, my friend and I need the guides — the machines sputter as we throttle the accelerator before we grow more comfortable.
- A four-kilometre ride costs ₹2,000
- Seven-kilometre ride costs ₹2,500
- 10-kilometre ride costs ₹3,000
- The price changes depending on the vehicle one chooses
Soon enough, we’re at the clearing that leads to the beach and whizz past children playing by the water and lazy cows soaking up the sun. Once we’re at the track that’s wide enough, we make a U-turn to head back; but not before we stop to take some selfies and slo-mo videos for posterity.
There are a few other people at Off Road; most of the crowd comes in over the weekends and on holidays. Corporate events aren’t uncommon either. “We tailor the packages as per the company’s requirements, number of people and budget,” says Sunder.
They also organise rides all the way up to Puducherry. “We do these rides twice a year and always have police escort vehicles leading us for security. People can sign up for the rides and we then hold trial runs for them. Depending on how they do, we shortlist and train them. It is only after that do we embark on the long ride,” he says, adding, “Typically, the entourage has around 25 riders.”
One can choose from track ride, woods trail, beach trail and thrill rides at Off Road Sports. For details visit www.offroadecr.com or call 7401227722.
In this column we hunt for adrenaline- filled activities in and around Chennai
