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| Sunday, 4 July 2004 |
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First major British surf contest a joy by Panduka Senanayake The first major British surf contest to be held in foreign waters was declared a resounding success as the Sri Lankan Airlines Champion of Champions event closed in Arugam Bay. The top 32 male surfers and four of the best females on the British circuit travelled halfway around the world for the unique contest on Sri Lanka's east coast. Arugam Bay is gaining a reputation as one of the best surf destinations in the world, thanks to the consistent quality waves, idyllic surroundings and warm turquoise water of the Indian Ocean. Memories of the 10-hour flight and gruelling 12-hour bus ride it took to get there were soon washed away when the surfers were met by a long, right-hand wave peeling down the point of a palm fringed sandy beach. The contest was organised by the Newquay-based British Professional Surfing Association (BPSA), in conjunction with Sri Lankan Airlines and Travel and Tours Anywhere Limited (TTAL). The event was conceived two years ago, when the BPSA was approached by TTAL with the concept of putting on the contest in the Indian Ocean. Following a couple of visits to assess the set-up, the team went ahead with the plans and invited the best placed surfers from last year's BPSA tour to compete in the exotic location. Following the success of the inaugural event, the organisers and chief sponsors are looking at a five year deal that would make A-Bay - as Arugam Bay is referred to locally - an integral part of the British circuit. Thanks to the quality of the surf, the competitors were able to perform at the top end of their abilities and provided some awe-inspiring entertainment on the waves. Newquay's Spencer Hargraves ended up winning the main event, after he impressed the judges with a long tube ride and some powerful surfing during the final. Spencer commented: "It's a fantastic location for a competition. It produced the best in most surfers, especially me. My best heat was the final. "I live part of the year in the Gold Coast in Australia where there is a wave called Snapper Point. This is very similar to that. I rate this as one as the best waves in the world for a fun, hot-dogging wave." Spencer finished just ahead of South Africa's Llewellyn Whittaker, whose lip-busting backhand snaps and floaters had made him a firm favourite with spectators throughout the competition. The current BPSA champion Sam Lamiroy finished in fourth place, with Australian Micah Lester in third. Newquay-based South African female surfer Kay Holt won the women's final ahead of Robyn Davies and Nicola Bunt from St Agnes and Sunshine Ash from Widemouth Bay. One of the most exciting elements of the competition was seeing the Sri Lanka's rip on their home break. Eleven local surfers made it in to the main heats of the competition and the top four competed in the Sri Lankan final on the last day. They showed a marked improvement during the week and wowed the crowd with some awesome tube rides during their own final. The BPSA's Dave Reed commented: "We couldn't have asked for anything more. It has been a big success. It was much better than we could have expected twelve months ago. We're looking forward to organising the event again next year." ARUGAM Bay is a relatively new destination on the surf travel map. Until a few years ago the east of the island was off limits due to civil unrest between Government forces and the Tamil Tigers. Now tourism in the area is booming thanks to an agreement that has brought the first period of peace in more than two decades. Visitors have started pouring in to experience the unspoiled palm fringed beaches, Buddhist temples, cultivated hillsides, abundant wildlife and the warm friendliness of the locals. Sri Lanka received over 500,000 foreign visitors last year, which a spokesman for Sri Lankan Airlines referred to as "the dividends of peace". The Tamil Tigers had been fighting for better rights and an independent homeland within Sri Lanka for the minority Tamil population, who are descended from Indian workers brought over to work on tea plantations during British rule. Many of thousands of people were killed during the dispute and the country is only just picking itself up from the situation that stifled its development for many years. There is still a heavy military presence in many parts of the island and the surfers found themselves protected by armed guards at times during their six-day stay in Arugam Bay. Despite appearances, the Sri Lankan authorities are keen to point out that the area is now a safe travel destination. During the contest, the Cornish Guardian spoke to Nimal Lewke, who is the head of the country's Special Task Force. The military police chief said: "People were very scared to come here before, apart from a few people who were willing to take a chance. "The area had been identified as a hostile area. It is our job to assess the threat and provide security. There is now total control." The officer spoke perfect English as he had lived in Aldershot for 18 months, where he was trained in counter terrorism by the British SAS. "Tourism is very important here. If we develop the country and the economy, half the battle will be won. But we can not do this without the support of developed countries. "The problem is when separatist forces receive help from outside Sri Lanka. The Tigers fought with resources from outside. But since 9/11 few countries have been willing to support this cause and the situation has improved." Although Mr Lewke is not a fan of surfing, he recognises the importance of sport in the development of the country. He is a former Sri Lankan boxing champion and rugby player, and is the coach of the national rugby team. He said: "In any country, sport can do a lot for the character of a person. It brings together people from all walks of life. In Sri Lanka we try to promote sport in a big way. People can learn through sports. It makes you a perfect man." |
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