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| Sunday, 20 July 2003 |
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West coast boys steal the thunder by Neomi Kodikara In the early hours of Sunday 6th July, a group of vigorous, brawny guys with pony tails and bare feet stand in groups on the banks of Ibbankatuwa reservoir, Dambulla, greeting this day with anticipation. They are the competitors of the first ever inland Wind Surfing Championship in Sri Lanka. The players enter the water, hoist the sails, surf about hundred yards out from the shore and now they all are ready for the command, to begin. Staying still on the boards in the waters is the most difficult task when strong winds beat pitilessly. Some sails belly in the wind, and the next moment flip and the boards topple. After grappling with the wind for few minutes one jumps on to the board and surfs up and down. Though 45 registered for the championship only 18 participated as the wind was extremely strong with a speed of 9-10 knotts. Races were thrilling and exciting. With colourful, dazzling sails they all looked like scattered butterflies fluttering to and fro. One seems struggling alone at a far end, but the next moment he tears through the waters to give a tight fight. My conversation with these guys defined my journey into the heart of their culture and values. I was specially struck by a deed of one player who offered his sail to T.H. Kosala, who came first in the first two races and he opted to compete with Kosala's broken sail at the final round. Thushal Gunawardhana (34) holds the Windsurfing Championship for 13 consecutive years since 1988. "Just after my O/Ls I joined a Watersports Training Centre." Sea has been too familiar for him and watersports his hobby. "We are ocean's people," says Thushal who now coaches watersports to the next generation in his training centre `Sunshine' in Aluthgama. He did not compete at the Championship giving the opportunity for another bunch of youngsters to come forth. Thushal though specialised in windsurfing, coaches in other watersports too. A well-built 6 footer, Thushal has a flamboyance unique to him. He has an inborn art of arching and bending the body when he is in action. It was the influence of his elder brother Upul Gunawardhana that made Thushal's entry to the field. "Windsurfing changed my whole life," he says. Thushal now is married to a Swiss woman who came to him for coaching lessons. Priyantha (29) too was influenced by his two brothers, Upul and Thushal. "When I saw their achievements as a kid I did not have any other world beyond this," So, right after his O/Ls he entered the field. He now works as an Adventure Sports instructor at the Taj Exotica Hotel, Bentota. He was the first runner-up at the Championship. Chathura Gunawardhana, nephew of Thushal and Priyantha too entered the game following the footsteps of his father and uncles. He bagged the Thusitha Nanayakkara Challenge Trophy for the Most Promising player. "This game represents a family. It is about sharing. We have learnt to live and work in harmony," Thushal remarks. T.H. Kosala (20), Aluthgama who was the Overall winner at the Midsummer Inland Windsurfing is a fine example of courage and endurance. He entered the field just six years ago but today he has reached the higher rungs of the ladder. S. Krishantha de Silva (21) and Ruwan Shantha (25) brother duo from Beruwala have been in the industry over 7 years. They claim to have had the finest experiences of kayaking in the Kalu ganga from Ratnapura to Kalutara. Krishantha is, at present employed at Kani Lanka Resort and Spa, Kalutara as an instructor while his brother works in Dubai for a lucrative remuneration. Was it the money that attracted them to watersports? "No" both shout at once. "We are quite familiar with the sea, I remember when I was a little boy most of my time was spent in the sea and the beach." Watersports, for these young men would have been just another yearning dream that ebbed away with sighs, had LSR not lent a helping hand. "But they deserve the glory," says Shehan Pilapitiya, Adventure Specialist to LSR. "They are heart-warmingly courageous, real gutty guys who are ready to take any step however risky it may be. They have brilliant powers of endurance, perseverance and grit which makes it easy to train them," says Shehan. According to him the cream comes from the villages. "They can quickly grasp and practise with tolerance and it is easier to train them than the Colombo boys who eat sausages and play cricket." Indeed it is their grit that earned them laurels. LSR, founded by Tilak Weerasinghe who himself is a Champion in Windsurfing has been in the industry for 17 years, discovering hidden talents in youths, lending them a helping hand through coaching and directing them to job opportunities. `Ibbankatuwa' reservoir with 14,500 acre feet was constructed in 1970s for irrigation purposes. This is fed by `Bovathanna' reservoir and it is one reservoir that feed `Kala wewa'. Built in the shape of a funnel the reservoir is generally 40 feet deep. This event was made possible by the Dambulla police, Ministry of Central Region Development, Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management, Ministry of Tourism and the Wind Surfing Association with technical assistance by LSR. |
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