Karnataka to host India's biggest surfing festival starting Friday

The three-day event will be held at Sasihithlu Beach, Mangaluru

The Karnataka tourism department is hosting a three-day surfing festival, the biggest in India starting Friday. The government of Karnataka along with Mantra Surf Club and Kanara Surfing and Water Promotion Council is all set to promote beaches of Karnataka as a premier adventure destination in India.

Time to get those surfboards ready

After tasting success in the 2016 edition of Indian Open of Surfing, the Karnataka government is all set to push coastal adventure sports once again. The three-day surfing festival is all set to welcome water sport and adventure enthusiasts from across the country and beyond. The surfing festival that will be inaugurated on Friday will go on until May 28.

Sasihithlu Beach's waves are calling

The event, like last year, will be held in Mangaluru's Sasihithlu beach. Deemed as India's largest surfing festival, the three-day event is aimed at promoting beaches of Karnataka as a premier adventure destination in India. From the young to the old, adventure enthusiasts will flock the beach over the weekend for the fest.

Keeping the adventure alive

The three-day festival will be a platform for water sports enthusiasts of all ages. Participants are expected to arrive from various parts of the world. Foreigners will be allowed to compete in the 'Open category'. The events will be judged by members of International Surfing Association (ISA) along with the Surfing Federation of India.

Get the categories right

Men and women will be able to compete in nine categories. Indian under-14, Indian grooms under-16, Indian juniors (17-22), Indian seniors (22-30), Indian masters (above 30), women of all ages, open category (Indians and foreigners) and stand-up paddling (men and women).

Boost for tourism

Karnataka is hosting the festival for the second time and wants to boost the state's tourism with such fests. "We want to show that beaches of Karnataka are suitable for various water sport adventure activities such as surfing and stand-up paddling. The festival also aims to make surfing a popular sport in India, considering that the country has a 5,422.6-km mainland coastline," said the state's Tourism Minister, Priyank Kharge

Much more than surfing

Last year's fest was a colourful mashup of adventure activities, beach sports and music. This year too, the organisers are set to make the three-day event a colourful one. Apart from the National surfing championship, the three-day fest will see Stand up paddling, Slackline, music festival along with food festival.

(Image courtesy: Indian Open of Surfing, 2016)

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