VISAKHAPATNAM: The very first national championship for surfing will be held this weekend in our very own City of Destiny. Despite the long and winding coastline the city boasts of, surfing as a sport has not really taken up in Visakhapatnam owing to a multitude of reasons, like lack of awareness and infrastructure, or the lack of exposure to the sport. India Surf Pro 2014 seeks to show us the light, and has invited surfers and surfing groups from all over India to participate in the competition. This is an endeavour by Anudeep, founder of Lonely Surfers, to provide sponsorships for the kids of fishermen. He took them under his wing, taught them how to surf and often sponsored trips for them. Now, however, unable to shoulder the responsibility on his own, he has invited surfers from India and abroad in the hope that these underprivileged kids get sponsors. “I have organised this event only for the kids. This year I found that I am unable to help them on my own and need assistance,” he says.
Apart from helping the kids, the event is promised to be a treat for beginners and pros alike, with a lot of intermingling of ideas, healthy competition and most of all, a sight for the entire city to watch. It is to be clubbed with the Go Skate for a cause event, which was scheduled to be held last month. However, the organisers saw it fit to hold the two events together, garner more attention and make into one big surfers and skaters get together.
“We have surfers, skateboarders and longboarders coming in from Mahabalipuram, Chennai, Goa, Pondicherry, Gokarna, Mangalore and Puri. We also have participants from Australia and France who will be taking part in the event,” says Anudeep, who has been surfing for the last eight years.
He believes that Vizag has not picked up as a surfer destination because people are afraid of drowning, and blame all accidents on the sea. However, despite the number of dangerous beach spots, Vizag also has a lot of safe and secure places where people can swim and surf without any danger. “The best time to go into the sea is from November to March. But surfers require waves, and the bigger they are, the more fun it is to ride them,” he adds.
The registrations have ended, and the adrenaline is already coursing through the veins of the competitors as they ready themselves to ride the waves. There are about 15 local surfers, out of which only four or five are seasoned adults while the rest are no more than kids. The other groups that will be seen in Vizag are Surfing Yogis, Vizag Surf Spirit, Lonely Surfers, Tattva boards, Longboarding Crew India and Nightrain. All of them have come to Vizag at their own expenses, just for the thrill of riding a wave.
The competition will take place on June 12, 14 and 15, opposite Novotel on the Beach Road. A photography competition, Hungry Lens, is also being organised during the event. For more information about the event, one may email at indiasurfpro@gmail.com