Still waters to SUPport surfing

BHUBANESWAR: This New Year, surfing is set to glide beyond the rough and cracking waves of the seas to the serene flat water surfaces in the State. Stand-up paddle (SUP) surfing is soon to be launched in the still waters of the rivers, lakes and other water bodies to not only give rise to a breed of surf fans but also develop a surf and paddle-based tourism circuit in the State. Brought in by Surfing Yogis, who have introduced the adventure water sports hitherto alien to the Indian sub-continent, the SUP is billed to provide the unique experience of surfing without the dread of towering waves and their violent crashes. SUP or paddle boarding as it is popularly known is the “in thing”, in the surfing world of today is a surface water sport in which a person glides through the water in varied speeds on top of a surf board using a paddle to manoeuvre himself. It has its genesis in Hawai where it in its ancient form was known as Hoe he’e Halu. Any type of water can be used for SUP. A person would have to just stand up on the board, balance himself and move through by using the paddle. That the board is specially designed to glide on the surface without much water displacement makes it very useful for shallow waters. Properly propelled, the boards can assume substantial speed,” Sanjay Samantray of the Surfing Yogis explained. “Worldwide, SUP has become a phenomenon with celebrities and lay enthusiasts alike taking to the sport in a big way. The vast water resources of Orissa have immense potential for tourism development around SUP. The Chilika Lake, the Mahanadi river and the vast coastline provides ample scope for nourishing and building popularity of the sport,” Samantray said. Besides, it has come to be widely acknowledged as a health sport, particularly providing cardiovascular exercises, muscle toning and other benefits. The SUP would be first put into motion at the forthcoming India Surf Festival at Ramachandi along the Puri-Konark Marine drive in February. Attended by expert paddle-boarders from the International Organisation of Stand Up Paddle (IOSUP) including co-founder of the organisation FE Labad from Spain and Jay Mannings from JSUP Surf School, the USA, holding demonstrations to popularise the sport.  “We would be holding special sessions for the officials of Government and Tourism and Culture Department to promote the potential of the sport in tourism development in the State. A race is also proposed to be held along the 5-km stretch on the flat waters near the river mouth at Ramachandi among the SUP surfers from England, the USA, Spain, etc”, secretary of the Orissa Surfers and Paddlers Association (OSPA) Dr Debabrata Das said.