Mangaluru: The coastal city of Mangaluru is abuzz with excitement as the 5th edition of the Indian Open of Surfing (IOS), the nation’s premier surfing competition, kicks off tomorrow. Organized by the Surfing Swami Foundation and hosted by the Mantra Surf Club under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India, this highly anticipated event will see the country’s top-ranked surfers converging at the iconic Sasihithlu Beach for a thrilling three-day championship.
The IOS will feature intense rivalries between surfers from the east and west coasts, with crucial ranking points on the line that will determine the surfers’ standings at the end of the season. Notable participants include Srikanth D, Surya P, Ajeesh Ali, Sivaraj Babu, Kamali Moorthy, Ishita Malviya, and Srishti Selvam, among others.
The event has garnered major support, with the New Mangalore Port Authority stepping in as the Title Sponsor for the first time. The Karnataka Government, which has been a consistent supporter for five years, is the ‘Presented by’ sponsor. Cycle Pure Agarbatti and Explurger, the social media partner, have joined as ‘Powered by’ sponsors for IOS.
The competition will feature four categories: Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Groms (U-16 Boys), and Groms (U-16 Girls). In the Men’s Open category, attention will be on Harish M, Srikanth D, and Sivaraj Babu, who showed exceptional performance at the International Surfing Festival Kerala 2024, the first national championship of the year. Kamali Moorthy, Sandhya Arun, Ishita Malviya, and Srishti Selvam are set to compete fiercely in the Women’s Open category, building on their recent successes. The U-16 Boys category will see Tayin Arun, Prahlad Sriram, and Som Sethi vying for top honors, while local talents Tanishka Mendon and Sanvi Hegde will showcase their skills in the U-16 Girls category. Ajeesh Ali, who represented India at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador, is also a strong contender in the Men’s Open category.
“We are geared up for the fifth edition of the Indian Open of Surfing, and I can promise you top-class competition and entertainment over the three-day challenge. The country’s top surfers have arrived in Mangaluru and are determined to showcase their talents and skills by winning the titles. Additionally, the recent weather in the city has added fuel to the competition, making the waves both challenging and conducive to surfing at the same time. I wish the very best of luck to all the participants and would like to thank our sponsors—New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA), Karnataka Government, Cycle Pure Agarbatti, and Explurger—without whom this event would not have been possible,” said the VP of the Surfing Federation of India and Partner of Mantra Surf Club.
Recognized by the International Surfing Federation, the global governing body for the sport, the competition serves as a platform for Indian surfers to hone their skills and prepare for both national and international events. The inclusion of surfing as an Olympic sport has further boosted the sport’s recognition globally. The Indian Open of Surfing marks the second stop of the National Championship series for the 2024 calendar year, following the International Surfing Festival Kerala 2024 held in March at Varkala.