The offshore winds welcomed surfers as the action began early on the inaugural day of the much-anticipated fifth edition of the Indian Open of Surfing at the tranquil Sasihithlu Beach in the port city of Mangalore. This three-day premier surfing competition in India is the official national championship of the Surfing Federation of India, the governing body for the sports of surfing and stand-up paddling.

Tamil Nadu surfers dominated Day 1’s proceedings, outplaying surfers from other states and securing fifteen out of sixteen quarterfinal spots in the Men’s Open category. Top scores came from the top-seeded surfers, with the current fourth-ranked Sivaraj Babu (15.50) emerging as the highest scorer of the day, followed by Ajeesh Ali (15.33) and Srikanth D (13.50).

“The conditions today were a little tricky, but I felt good surfing in them as I got 8 waves in my heat and enjoyed all of them. I don”t feel any pressure for the knockouts; I”ll focus solely on my skills. I just want to keep rolling, catch as many waves as I can, play it safe, and have fun tomorrow and the day after,” Sivaraj Babu who received the highest score of 15.50 today from the judges in the men’s open category said.

The fifth edition of the Indian Open of Surfing was declared open by Shri Mullai Muhilan M P, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada. Other dignitaries present at the inaugural ceremony included Shri K.G. Nath, Deputy Chairman of the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA); Shri Jijo Thomas, Secretary of the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA); Shri Manikya, Deputy Director of the Tourism Department, Dakshina Kannada; Shri Rammohan Paranjape, Vice President of the Surfing Federation of India; and Shri Gaurav Hegde, Director of the Surfing Swami Foundation.

The first day’s rounds saw Tamil Nadu surfers take charge in the Men’s Open category. A total of 14 surfers will battle it out in the quarterfinals, scheduled for tomorrow morning, to book a slot in the semi-finals. The quarterfinalists in this category are Sivaraj Babu, Ajeesh Ali, Srikanth D, Harish M, Tayin Arun, Manivannan T, Sanjay Selvamani, Surya P, Sanjaikumar S, Manikandan M, Ruban V, Subramani M, Akilan S, and Manikandan I.