Finally after four months of complete hard work, India Surf Festival 2015 kicks starts on Friday, with over 70 surfers from all over the globe. Out of these surfers are 20 female surfers, who are enhancing the Girl Power at ISF which happens to be this year’s theme.
Morning started early, with members working in different sites for the last minute touch. Half past ten, local tourists, dignitaries, and media people started stepping their feet at the festival.
The day started with the Stand Up Paddling (SUP) workshop conducted by Active 360, one of our major foreign collaboration from London. Following the workshop was the India SUP Cup Preliminary rounds were all the surfers and non surfers participated with full enthusiasm. A total of 14 surfers were shortlisted for the SUP Cup Championship, to be held on 8th February.
Preparatory session was on near the beaches for the India Surf Championship, the new introduction to ISF this year. The championship is sanctioned by Asian Surfing Championships. The completion will take place on 7th Feb and the winners will be awarded prize money of $1000.
The Kitesurfing demonstration by Kitesurfing Lanka from Sri Lanka and Dmitry was the stand out of the day. People were quite attracted to the workshop and wanted to try their hand on it. Paragliding was also another attraction at the shorts zone of the festival.
The art session of the festival saw a new installation by Vinay Pateel, an artist from Bangalore. He names the installation as ‘Soul Flowers’. The art works had sensors attached to it; move your hands over the sensor and you feel the movements!
Shree Ashok Panda from the Ministry of Tourism Department paid his visit to the festival. He took a round of the complete area and formally inaugurated the festival. “It’s exciting to see surfing grow in Odisha. We have so much potential”, says Shree Ashok Panda, when asked about the festival.
The day ended with an awesome performance by Thaalavattam, band from Bangalore. The crowd was mesmerized by the music played by Montry.