June 25, 2010 Arugam Bay, SRI LANKA (LBO) - Top professional surfers from around the world were at Sri Lanka's Arugam Bay, a small village in the eastern coast of the island which was limited to an adventurous few until now.
"It is a fun wave," says Nat Young from USA, who shone at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) SriLankan Airlines Pro championship this week."The waves are so close to the shore."
World Class
Arugam Bay has a right breaking wave, which runs almost parallel to the shore.
"A fun wave means a surfer can try out almost any manoeuvre," says Dane Anderson, ASP Australasia's tour manager.
"Everybody is very happy with the waves. These are world class.
"Yesterday we stopped the tournament early and someone said 'Why are we stopping, the waves are good?’
"But the organisers said waves can get much better, and they did. Then everyone knew what we were talking about."
Australia's Julian Wilson won the tournament beating Young in the finals. Wilson says he will be back to defend his title next year.
Wade Sharp, who was one of the judges at the championship, says the waves at Arugam Bay can be bested by only a very few places in the world.
"These waves are probably better than in the USA," says Sharp who is from South Africa.
World Class
Arugam Bay has a right breaking wave, which runs almost parallel to the shore.
"A fun wave means a surfer can try out almost any manoeuvre," says Dane Anderson, ASP Australasia's tour manager.
"Everybody is very happy with the waves. These are world class.
"Yesterday we stopped the tournament early and someone said 'Why are we stopping, the waves are good?’
"But the organisers said waves can get much better, and they did. Then everyone knew what we were talking about."
Australia's Julian Wilson won the tournament beating Young in the finals. Wilson says he will be back to defend his title next year.
Wade Sharp, who was one of the judges at the championship, says the waves at Arugam Bay can be bested by only a very few places in the world.
"These waves are probably better than in the USA," says Sharp who is from South Africa.
"But probably not as good as in Indonesia."He says right breaking waves breaking so close to the shore allow surfers to run along to the shore and try more waves instead of swimming laboriously against the wave to get to the starting point.
"The waves are very consistent here," adds Wade. "So you can be sure to get the waves when you come."
Permanent Fixture
SriLankan Airlines, the island's national carrier, who was the main sponsor of the championship, wants to make the Arugam Bay event a permanent fixture on the ASP circuit.
"We first negotiated with them in 2004, but the war broke out and we shifted to the Maldives, because of the security situation," says SriLankan Airlines chief Manoj Gunewardena.
"But now people can come here freely.
"Our intention is to make this a high profile global event and over the next three years also encourage other corporate sponsors to come in."
Lanka Sportreizen, a Sri Lankan inbound tour operator specializing in water and adventure sports who provided logistics support for the championship, believes the event has helped raise the profile of surfing in the island.
"We would like to see more tourists coming here and both tourists and locals learning to surf," says Lanka Sportreizen chief Tilak Weerasinghe, himself a windsurfer who went on to form his own sport travel firm and training school.
ASP's Jordan says the surfing body brought down instructors who not only taught the local surfers better technique, but also taught them how to teach others. About two dozen local surfers either took part or worked with ASP for the event.
"They are in the process of forming their own association," says Jordan. "If you want to encourage surfing in this country, you need to build up skills and also know how to teach young people."
Tourist Industry
Sri Lanka's tourism promotion office says facilities, which were somewhat rustic, will be improved next year.
"We need to overcome infrastructure challenges," say Dileep Mudadeniya who heads Sri Lanka's tourism promotion bureau.
"Next year we will have a better access road and other facilities."
Until now it was the local community which built the infrastructure to support the mainly Western amateur surfers who knew about Arugam Bay.
Surfers from around the world made the somewhat arduous, eight to ten hour journey from Sri Lanka's capital Colombo braving travel advisories through the long years of its 30-year war.
A large number of guest houses and even surfboard repair shops have sprung up during the period. Mudadeniya estimates that about 250 to 300 rooms are in the area.
One such hotel is Galaxy Lounge, a close-to-nature set of cabanas with a rustic charm nad a family atmosphere run by Sriyanjali Gunasena, a British-born Anglo-Sri Lankan who is married to an Australian.
She says tourism traffic had probably doubled to the village over the last year. Arugam Bay's 'season' is from April to October when the winds are just right, which is 'off season' in the rest of the island.
"Until last year only Westerners came here," she muses.
"But now many people from Colombo and also families with children come from abroad. That shows how the world view of this place has changed."
Surfing Paradise
Lanka Sportreizen's Weerasinghe says Arugam Bay is not the only place where there are good waves to surf.
"There are several places nearby, though probably not as good as Arugam Bay," he says.
"But elsewhere in the island there are good waves in Mirissa (south coast), in Hikkaduwa (south west) and Kaluthara (west coast).
Near Arugam Bay in eastern Sri Lanka, at places including Pottuvil Point and Crocodile Point surfers says it is possible to ride the waves.
"A few people tried out the waves over there yesterday," says Jordan, pointing to white breakers at the far end of Arugam Bay.
"They said the waves were good.”
Jordan says he saw likely-looking waves while scanning the shore off the Yala National Park to the south of Arugam Bay through Google Earth.
"I will need to see it close up to say definitely but it looks good. Even in Colombo's Galle Face there are good breakers," he says.
"Why hasn't someone tried them out?"
Surfers say one of Sri Lanka's attractions at the moment is that the waves are not crowded.
"Waves like these will attract more than 300 surfers if it was in the USA," says Sharp.
"When the popularity of this place grows, other places will have to be found."
"The waves are very consistent here," adds Wade. "So you can be sure to get the waves when you come."
Permanent Fixture
SriLankan Airlines, the island's national carrier, who was the main sponsor of the championship, wants to make the Arugam Bay event a permanent fixture on the ASP circuit.
"We first negotiated with them in 2004, but the war broke out and we shifted to the Maldives, because of the security situation," says SriLankan Airlines chief Manoj Gunewardena.
"But now people can come here freely.
"Our intention is to make this a high profile global event and over the next three years also encourage other corporate sponsors to come in."
Lanka Sportreizen, a Sri Lankan inbound tour operator specializing in water and adventure sports who provided logistics support for the championship, believes the event has helped raise the profile of surfing in the island.
"We would like to see more tourists coming here and both tourists and locals learning to surf," says Lanka Sportreizen chief Tilak Weerasinghe, himself a windsurfer who went on to form his own sport travel firm and training school.
ASP's Jordan says the surfing body brought down instructors who not only taught the local surfers better technique, but also taught them how to teach others. About two dozen local surfers either took part or worked with ASP for the event.
"They are in the process of forming their own association," says Jordan. "If you want to encourage surfing in this country, you need to build up skills and also know how to teach young people."
Tourist Industry
Sri Lanka's tourism promotion office says facilities, which were somewhat rustic, will be improved next year.
"We need to overcome infrastructure challenges," say Dileep Mudadeniya who heads Sri Lanka's tourism promotion bureau.
"Next year we will have a better access road and other facilities."
Until now it was the local community which built the infrastructure to support the mainly Western amateur surfers who knew about Arugam Bay.
Surfers from around the world made the somewhat arduous, eight to ten hour journey from Sri Lanka's capital Colombo braving travel advisories through the long years of its 30-year war.
A large number of guest houses and even surfboard repair shops have sprung up during the period. Mudadeniya estimates that about 250 to 300 rooms are in the area.
One such hotel is Galaxy Lounge, a close-to-nature set of cabanas with a rustic charm nad a family atmosphere run by Sriyanjali Gunasena, a British-born Anglo-Sri Lankan who is married to an Australian.
She says tourism traffic had probably doubled to the village over the last year. Arugam Bay's 'season' is from April to October when the winds are just right, which is 'off season' in the rest of the island.
"Until last year only Westerners came here," she muses.
"But now many people from Colombo and also families with children come from abroad. That shows how the world view of this place has changed."
Surfing Paradise
Lanka Sportreizen's Weerasinghe says Arugam Bay is not the only place where there are good waves to surf.
"There are several places nearby, though probably not as good as Arugam Bay," he says.
"But elsewhere in the island there are good waves in Mirissa (south coast), in Hikkaduwa (south west) and Kaluthara (west coast).
Near Arugam Bay in eastern Sri Lanka, at places including Pottuvil Point and Crocodile Point surfers says it is possible to ride the waves.
"A few people tried out the waves over there yesterday," says Jordan, pointing to white breakers at the far end of Arugam Bay.
"They said the waves were good.”
Jordan says he saw likely-looking waves while scanning the shore off the Yala National Park to the south of Arugam Bay through Google Earth.
"I will need to see it close up to say definitely but it looks good. Even in Colombo's Galle Face there are good breakers," he says.
"Why hasn't someone tried them out?"
Surfers say one of Sri Lanka's attractions at the moment is that the waves are not crowded.
"Waves like these will attract more than 300 surfers if it was in the USA," says Sharp.
"When the popularity of this place grows, other places will have to be found."
