MANGALURU: Preparations are in full swing for the first surfing festival in Karnataka - 'All Cargo Indian Open of Surfing', being organised by the department of tourism at Sasihithlu Beach, about 20 kms from the city.
The event, which will be held from May 27 to 29, will be a National Surfing and Stand Up Paddling championship attracting surfers from all over India to Mangaluru. About 50 surfers have registered online already and the number is expected to cross 100 before May 24, said Kishor Kumar, president Surfing Federation of India (SFI).
He said that the idea behind the event is to promote and showcase beaches of Karnataka as popular surfing and adventure destination. All Cargo Indian Open of Surfing is presented by Karnataka Tourism, Government of Karnataka and it is recognized by the International Surfing Association and SFI. The event is being organized by Mantra Surf Club in association with Kanara Surfing and Water Sports Promotion Council. Under National Surfing Championships, there will be a number of categories - Groms - Under 16, Junior Boys 17-22, Seniors Men 22-28, Masters Men 28 and above and Women Category. There will be an Open Men's category for international surfers, he said.
The event is going to be officiated by Steve Robertson, General Manager for World Surf League (Australasia), Tim Hain, General Manager, Asian Surfing Championships. A panel of international judges will be headed by Made Sachang from Bali, Indonesia. There is a total cash prize of Rs 6 lakh for all the winning participants from across all categories.
"Top surfers from around India are excited and are looking forward to competing in Karnataka for the first time ever. The forecast for the event is looking very promising with 5ft - 8ft waves hitting the coast which will be a challenge for surfers. Top- seeded girls in the country, Aneesha Nayak and Sinchana Gowda from Mangaluru are going to be the favourites in the women category. Deekshith Suvarna and Kiran Kumar from Mulki are top-seeded from Karnataka," Kishor said.
Other highlights of the event include various entertainment, live music, food festival and other activities during the surfing festival, he said.
Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said the district administration will extend its support and strive hard to make the event successful. "A new road leading to the venue is in fast progress, beach clean ups and other facilities is all being taken care by the district administration," he said.
City police commissioner M Chandra Sekhar said the department will make all security arrangements to make the event smooth.
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