The 5th Indian Open of Surfing will begin at Sasihithlu Beach in Mangaluru for three days from May 31.
Being organised by the Mantra Surf Club and Surfing Swami Foundation under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India, the event marks a significant gathering of top-tier surf talent in the country.
It will witness the participation of top Indian surfers like Ramesh Budihal, Kishore Kumar, Harish M., Srikanth D., Manikandan D., Kamali Moorthy, Srishthi Selvam, and Sandhya Arun. They will compete for top honors in four different categories (Men & Women’s Open and Groms U-16 Boys & Girls).
New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) is the title sponsor of this year’s event, a release said.
It quoted Venkata Ramana Akkaraju, Chairman, NMPA of having said: “Surfing holds transformative potential for the region, positioning Mangaluru as a premier destination for adventure enthusiasts. This, in turn, significantly boosts the local economy and empowers the local communities.”
The release quoted M.P. Mullai Muhilan, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada having said, “Support to the event by Karnataka Tourism Department encourages more people to visit beautiful places like Sasihithlu and explore what the State has to offer in terms of tourism development.”
Indian Open of Surfing (IOS) will be the second stop of the national championship series of the 2024 calendar year, following the International Surfing Festival of Kerala 2024, held in March at Varkala Beach. The IOS will feature intense competition between surfers from the East and West coasts, as these championships carry important ranking points that will determine the surfers’ standings at the end of the season, the release added.
