Mangaluru, May 29 (IANS) The surfing spotlight returns to Karnataka’s coastal city of Mangaluru as the sixth edition of the Indian Open of Surfing is set to get underway at the Tannirbhavi Eco Beach on Friday.

Scheduled from May 30 to June 1, this is the second stop of the 2025 National Surfing Championship Series. Organised by the Surfing Swami Foundation and hosted by the Mantra Surf Club under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India (SFI), this year’s edition continues to serve as a pivotal leg in the National Championship series, drawing India’s finest surfing talent for three days of high-stakes competition and valuable ranking points.

Originally scheduled at Sasihithlu Beach, this year’s competition has been relocated to Tannirbhavi Eco Beach due to unfavourable weather and wave patterns at the former site. While Sasihithlu has been synonymous with the Indian Open of Surfing for years, the new venue promises comparable wave quality while ensuring better safety conditions for surfers and spectators alike.

The three-day contest will see over 50 top surfers compete across four divisions: Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Groms (U-16) Boys, and Groms (U-16) Girls. Among the biggest highlights for this round is the return of defending National champion Ramesh Budihal and Kishore Kumar, two of India’s top-ranked surfers who missed the previous edition but are now ready to make a statement.

They will join an elite lineup including Harish Muthu, Kamali P., Ajeesh Ali, Srikanth D., and Sanjay Selvamani, all of whom have impressed on the Asian circuit in 2024, including standout performances at the Asian Surfing Championship and the Maruhaba Cup. Their performances were key to India securing a 5th place rank in Asia last year and also securing two quotas for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.

Adding a dramatic layer to this year’s edition is the surf forecast, with wave heights predicted between 10 to 12 feet across the competition dates. Due to cyclonic activity and unpredictable weather patterns over the Arabian Sea, the ocean may prove to be an unpredictable competitor and play a spoilsport to the event schedule.

The heightened challenge will also have implications for national rankings, especially with the Asian Surf Championship 2025, a qualifier for the 2026 Asian Games, on the horizon.

The event continues to enjoy unwavering backing from key partners. The New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) returns as the Title Sponsor for the second consecutive year, while Karnataka Tourism presents the championship for the sixth year running.

“We’re excited to bring the sixth edition of the NMPA Indian Open of Surfing to the coast of Mangalore. With a strong field of athletes and a challenging forecast of 10–12 ft waves, we are in for an intense and exciting three days of competition,” said Rammohan Paranjape, vice president of the Surfing Federation of India and director at Mantra Surf Club.

In the lead-up to the sixth edition of IOS, local Grom events have been underway, aiming to unearth the next wave of surfing talent in the region. These grassroots competitions not only build momentum ahead of the national championship but also set the stage for a sustainable pipeline of talent.

–IANS

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