International Surfing Festival to Begin in Varkala on April 10

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Tourists and water sports enthusiasts are in for a big treat as the panoramic Edava beach of Varkala is all set to host the second edition of the International Surfing Festival from April 10-13.

Minister for Tourism P A Mohamed Riyas will inaugurate the festival on April 10 at 4 pm.

Varkala MLA V Joy will preside over the function. Adoor Prakash MP, AA Rahim MP, Kerala Tourism Director Sikha Surendran and Anu Kumari, District Collector, Thiruvananthapuram, will attend the inaugural function.

The event is organised by Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) under the State Tourism Department, in association with the Thiruvananthapuram District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC).

The event will feature competitions in categories like SUP Technical Race, Paddle Board Technical Race, and SUP Surfing. Around 60 local and international surfers will participate in the festival.

Technical support for the event is extended by Surfing Federation of India and International Surfing Association (ISA).

The competitions will be under the following categories: National Women’s Open, National Men’s Open, National Groms (16 & under – Girls), National Groms (16 & under – Boys), International Men’s Open, and International Women’s Open.

Winners of the competition under each category will be awarded with a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.

Besides the competition, the Surfing Festival also offers free surfing sessions worth Rs 1 lakh for 50 lucky winners through a special contest. They will be selected from five categories such as general public, educational institutions, Techies, working professionals, vloggers/content creators/photographers and influencers.

The event will help attract more tourists to Varkala, which is already present on the international tourism map on account of its beautiful beaches, vibrant cafes and diverse culinary experience, said Mohamed Riyas.

Surfing culture is a part of Varkala. There are many professional surfers, surfing clubs and coaches in there, making it a perfect destination to hold an event like international surfing festival, the Minister added.

Tourism Department is committed to make Kerala an adventure sports hub and events like surfing festival will enrich this culture and popularity of such sports, said Tourism Secretary K Biju.

The event aims to firmly position Varkala as a major surfing destination in the country, said Kerala Tourism Director Sikha Surendran.

Varkala has world class accommodation facilities and air, road and rail connectivity that enable tourists to easily reach the destination and have a wholesome experience, including watching events like the surfing festival, she added.

Located about 40 km from the state capital, Varkala is also reputed as one of Kerala’s most visited pilgrim tourism sites.

Those interested in participating in the contest can register through the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfijXjNEXJmKhRvJYEoHhLqkFngFmTBD9ZwZ9LeOSMDxXKTCw/viewform

The Tourism Department will also be organising the Mountain Terrain Biking Championship (MTB Kerala 2025) at Mananthavady in Wayanad in May and the International White Water Kayaking Festival in Kozhikode from July 24-27.

This year’s International Paragliding Festival was held at Vagamon in Idukki district last month.