Top surfers gear up for sixth edition of indian open of surfing in mangalore - the statesman

The surfing spotlight returns to Karnataka’s coastal city of Mangalore as the sixth edition of the Indian Open of Surfing gets underway on Friday at the Tannirbhavi Eco Beach. 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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 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. These powerful swells will demand precision, stamina and strategy, elevating both the thrill of the contest and the

difficulty for competitors. 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. Advertisement