Surf’s up at Arugam Bay
Ruwini Jayawardana
[Main activities at Arugam Bay]
* Wind- surfing
* Rafting
* Diving
* Fishing
* Swimming
* Underwater photography
* Canoeing
* Bird watching
* Sun bathing
* Strolling
* Bicycling
Sri Lankan Airlines Pro Surf 2010
Voted as the numero uno surf destination in the Asian zone by
Floating Asia, Arugam Bay will now host an international surf tournament
from June 18 to 24. The event is spearheaded by SriLankan Airlines and
will feature 128 competitors from all parts of the globe including USA,
Australia, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, UK, Germany etc.
The contestants comprise former champions as well as some of the best
surfers in the world.
Their moves will be graded by 22 internationally recognized surfing
referees.
The event is conducted by the Association of Surfing Professionals
(ASP), the global governing body for surfing. They are the key players
in putting together world class surfing events like the World
Championship Tour alias the ASP World Tour.
Strolling along the sandy beaches, basking in the golden sun and
feeling the salty breeze ruffle your hair maybe a part of the deal when
you hit on the nearby beaches but, more is in store for you if you visit
Arugam Bay. The wondrous strip of golden sand was not only recognized as
one of the country’s wonders by locals but it has been hailed as Asia’s
top most surf destination.
Located in the dry zone of Sri Lanka’s South-East coast, shrouded by
the wide spread wetlands, lagoons and jungles encompassing a variety of
flora and fauna lies Arugam Bay, a fishing village two and a half
kilometers south of Pottuvil. The area belongs to the Ampara district.
Overall humid climate prevails at Arugam Bay. A slight breeze sweeps
by from the North-East. Usually, showers are expected in September and
October. The surfing season is at its peak between June and October.
This is when many holidaymakers and surfers hit the beach. Diving is
also a favourite pastime with visitors because the area comprises many
ship-wrecks that are a challenge to explore. You can also catch sight of
wild elephants in the long, deserted beach leading down to Crocodile
Rock.
Fishing and farming are the main occupations at Arugam Bay. Farmers
cultivate paddy while raring cattle to produce dairy products. Ullae
situated towards the corner of the bay is an ideal fishing harbour.
Therefore families of fishing communities tend to settle down in
temporary palm huts on the beach to earn their living. Most of them are
Tamil Christians and Hindus. However there are a few Sinhalese fisher
families as well.
The area is rooted with our ancestry and evidence of its remains lies
hidden in the jungles of the area. Excavations of a 2000 year old
temple, Modu Maha Vihare, which lies within the boarders of Pottuvil, is
one such example. Despite being shadowed by the three decades of
terrorism and struck by tsunami, Arugam Bay has emerged today as one of
the country’s leading tourist destinations offering its visitors a
variety of entertainment and activities at an economically friendly
price. The area even received the Best Destination Award at the World
Travel Market World Responsible Tourism Awards in 2007 for its
contribution to biodiversity conservation.
Referring to the event
SriLankan Airlines CEO Manoj Gunawardena said that the company is
delighted to pioneer the project. He added that SriLankan Airlines Pro
Surf 2010 is a Six Star event meaning that it is on top of the ratings
in the World Qualifying Series of the Association of Surfing
Professionals. Arugam Bay will be recognized as a unique location
comprising all the qualities needed to make it an ideal spot for
surfing.
Surfing is a pastime and surfers would no doubt mark it as one of
their favourites. Surfing is a sport which requires relatively little
infrastructure cost, he said. The first international surfing event was
held in Arugam Bay in 2004. The tsunami set a slight drawback.
This did not discourage SriLankan Airlines from hosting an event just
six months after the destructive waves struck the shores of the island.
Surfers like to seek new destinations and mark out the best areas for
engaging in the sport.
Arugam Bay has built a strong reputation over the years as one of the
island’s excellent surfing locations. We hope that this event will help
to popularize the sport in Sri Lanka, ASP Australasia Operations Manager
Dane Jordan said. He also added that two local surfers will get a chance
to compete in the tournament.
Billabong will sponsor Sri Lankan Airlines Pro Surf 2010. The event
is SriLanka Airlines joint venture with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions
Bureau. Have a great surfing spell and enjoy a breathtaking sports
vacation on our emerald shores! |