All hail King Madushan and Queen Nikita
Sri Lanka’s Lakshitha Madushan and South Africa’s Nikita Robb emerged men’s and women’s winners respectively to be crowned King and Queen of the Wave 2019 at the fourth edition of the Red Bull Ride My Wave Surfing Championships concluded along the sandy shores of one of Sri Lanka’s best beaches last weekend on the southern coast, Hikkaduwa.Nicole Jansen and Sarah Sagve secured second and third places in the women’s category while Nadeen Sampath and David Soloman were placed second and third in the men’s category.
The two-day event was filled with fierce competition with 100 participants from around the world. The judging criteria was incredibly high, where participants were scored on a 0.1-10 scale, expertly judged by a panel led by head judge Lahiru Wijesekera, an ISA international level 1 judge, with the event being supported by the experienced Contest Director G.P.G. Sandika Thushara, winner of Sri Lanka’s first ever National Surfing Championship.
With 30 heats held on each day, the competition consisted of four rounds, which then gave way to the quarter-finals, semifinals and finals. Participants were judged on their ability to perform radical controlled manoeuvres in the critical sections of a wave with speed, power, and flow. Innovative/progressive surfing as well as the combination and variety of repertoire (of major manoeuvres) were further taken into consideration when rewarding points for a surfer’s performance.
Red Bull Ride My Wave 2019 was an immensely successful event, bringing together surfing communities and enthusiasts across the country, working to firmly establish surfing as a sport in Sri Lanka.
Red Bull has repeatedly proven their commitment towards developing sports across the globe, and they have certainly had a strong influence here in Sri Lanka. Ride My Wave has been no exception, with past events being held along the eastern and southern coasts, opening the doors to a sport that is slowly but steadily growing in popularity within the island. Past winners include the East Coast Team (2014), Asanka (2015), Lucky D.A. (2016), and Mattia Poirier (2018).
Red Bull Ride My Wave was launched with the aim of fostering the sport, helping local tourism, and promoting the bond of surf culture with its own twist. After a spectacular two-day event this December, it is undeniable that Red Bull has once more achieved their goal. The event was packed with fun-filled activities and with an atmosphere of feverish excitement as people of all ages, both local and international, joined together to take on Sri Lanka’s waves or simply join in on the fun by cheering on Sri Lanka’s surfing enthusiasts. In fact, this year’s event was completely plastic-free, as Red Bull demonstrated their commitment towards the environment by minimizing pollution.
True to the spirit of creating surfing history in Sri Lanka, Ride My Wave has provided a platform for enthusiastic female surfers as well. Female surfers took on the waves this year, breaking barriers in what has largely been a male-dominated sport. Indeed, Red Bull Ride My Wave has succeeded in helping create a thriving surfing culture within Sri Lanka, attracting more potential surfing enthusiasts than ever before.
Pix by Ishanka Sunimal
Men's winner Lakshitha Madushan flanked by Nadeen Sampath (R) and David Soloman
Women's champ Nikita Robb with Nicole Jansen (R) and Sarah Sagve