Arugam Bay :
Surfing haven
The location was all set for the adventurous sport on a dazzling sunny
day. Bustling waves, rolling and rushing as if in a race, ending up ashore
with an impetuous embrace made the atmosphere nothing less than perfect for
the event. Waves here reach a height of fifteen feet or more , receiving the
same swell that hit other world renown surfing locations during mid-year.
by Thava Sajitharan
 Arugam Bay, resurrecting from the tsunami devastation, has risen from the
ashes, and was trying to get back to normalcy. The British Surfing
Championship 2005 began two weeks ago and a number of foreigners flocked to
the village to watch the thrilling moments of surfing.
The world famous tourist destination situated in the South - East coast
of Sri Lanka, well-known for being one of the finest surfing venues in the
world, was horribly hit by the tsunami waves, six months ago. The village
still bears testimony to the calamity.
One could see the destroyed homes and shops all the way down to Arugam
bay from Pothuvil, passing the recently reconstructed bridge, linking the
two villages. Hotels and restaurants have, begun rebuilding. However, most
of the fisher folk in the village are still to resume work. Excepting for a
few who have already received or bought boats from NGOs, the others are
still idling.
The Surfing Championship commenced on June 27 and went on till June 30,
which in the opinion of many, was a welcome sign to the tourism sector.
SriLankan Airlines, provided the air tickets and the prize money for the
participants. British Pro-Surf Association (BPSA) and Travel and Tours
Anywhere Ltd (TTAL) and Sri Lankan Airlines sponsored the event).
 According to Sri Lankan airlines officials, the 2005 surfing event was a
part of an ongoing program to incorporate Sri Lanka as part of the British
Professional Surfing circuit. Sri Lanka hosted the competition for the
second time.
About 50 professional surfers participated in the contest. Apart from the
competitors from Britain and Australia, there were local contestants
performing equally well, making 'surfing' nothing alien to Sri Lanka.
Asanka Sanjeewa, was one such local star who became the champion last
year. The 19-year-old lad claims that he started the sport since he was
10-years-old. Initially, broken pieces of boats served him as objects for
practice whereby he learnt the techniques and to excel in the skills of
surfing. "Surfing is a thrilling experience. Of course it takes some nerve
to be in it. It took me several years to surf properly", said Asanka. He did
not fail to prove once again, what he was capable of, when he qualified for
the finals and won the runner-up prize this year too.
Susantha Suntharalingam, another youngster, became the champion for the
local contest this year. Both of them are fisher folk.
Tilak Weerasinghe, founder of Lankan Sports Reizen who provided the
technical support for the event, stressed that if appropriate and adequate
training was given to such young talent in the country, they could be sent
for international surfing events as well. Tilak was very keen to encourage
the development of surfing in the island, he said. "There are about seven or
eight surfing points in Sri Lanka that enable to fulfil the dream of any
surfer. The waves you find in these seas are just what surfers all over the
world love to have".
"This is why we want to develop the sport and the environment to world
standard. We are working towards that" he continued. According to Tilak,
what makes Arugam Bay more significant is that, even if the waves are not
good enough at a particular point, there are alternative points to surf in
the area. SriLankan Airlines' Promotion Manager, Saminda Perera who compared
the surfers to sea waves said "they visit you again and again".
The organisers were of the opinion that such events should be welcomed
and encouraged to foster tourism.
Yet, few scholars in Colombo whom the 'Sunday Observer' spoke to, said
that while promoting tourism we should not forget about the fishing industry
in the coastal areas which brings in a stable income to the country. Even in
Arugam Bay, it is clearly visible that the people are struggling to restore
their lives.
Majority of the people living there, earn their income through fishing.
They continue to complain of not being permitted to rebuild their houses
within the 200 metre buffer zone. 'The situation demands a moderate solution
concerning both tourism and the fisher folk, observers said.
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