Madushan making waves in surfing
'Lucky', the happy-go-lucky lad at the Red Bull Ride My Wave launch event with the 'wave conqueror' image of him in the background - Pic by M.A. Pushpakumara
Lakshitha Madushan, now 22, may not be a household name locally. But he is a known figure among local sportspersons, and above all globally, particularly among those in the surfing fraternity, he has earned quite a good reputation as a surfer.
Years back, Lakshitha or Lucky as he is well known as, was an average youth, but yet even at the age of 16, he was Sri Lanka’s best surfer overall. Hailing from the southern town of Weligama, being raised by average parents in an atmosphere where the sea, tourism and fishing are main attractions and sources of income, through sheer dedication Lakshitha changed his fortunes.
A former student of Siddartha National School, Weligama, sand and sea were part of his life. And swimming was a skill that was inherited naturally to all kids who lived around the vicinity of Weligama beach. As juveniles, kids of his age either had other interests, but Lakshitha was different.
He idolised a local, known as Shaggy, who spent most of his time surfing when he was not providing his services as a local guide to tourists. Apparently it was one of Lakshitha’s uncles who became his springboard in surfing.
“I was around 9 or 10 and it was then I got my first lesson. Back then there were only a handful of surfers in Weligama and my uncle was one of them,” he recalled, at the launch event of the Red Bull ‘Ride My Wave 2022′, where he made a guest appearance.
Mastering a craft such as surfing, that had no mentors in Sri Lanka at all to become the best in the country and a recognised surfer in the global platform was not an easy task for Lakshitha. All he did was spend more time on a borrowed surfboard from a tourist and practice, until he was fit enough to enter a competition.
In 2016, when he was merely 16, Lakshitha entered his first major local competition, only to win it big. It was then that the spotlight turned on him. In competitions to follow he got better and better, to become the main attraction at local events and even to become an automatic choice at international events representing Sri Lanka.
Since winning his first competition and after six years, Lakshitha today is an individual who promotes surfing through teaching. In a way he is contributing back to the sport that change his life entirely, while promoting Sri Lanka as a destination for surfing. His institution ‘Lucky Surfing Camp and Surfing School’ in his hometown of Weligama, is a well known entity among foreign visitors.
“Surfing is a wonderful sport, it’s a mode of meditation. Yes, the sport is expensive when it comes to equipments such as boards, wax and maintenance, but you get the beach right around Sri Lanka. That’s a factor which we can use to promote surfing among locals,” he explained.
Naturally Lakshitha has a special place to the surfing location in Weligama, which he recommends as an ideal location for beginners, apart from Devil’s Beach and a section of the famous Hikkaduwa beach, where the main surfing point has earned global recognition among international surfers. Among other points as Lakshitha pointed out Arugam Bay, Madiha and Kabalana are ideal for advanced surfers and international competitions.
Having surfed around different surfing points of Sri Lanka, Lakshitha is eager to become the mentor for the next generation of surfers and the guiding light for local and foreign beginners. He suggests the locals to take off the fear of the water and waves and simply give it a try, at least once.
“In Sri Lanka surfing is famous, but mostly among foreigners. Locals do know about surfing, but not as sport, and they are reluctant to surf. They are afraid, though they hit the beach they are not willing to the surf. Welagama has one of the safest places to surf. That’s the reason why most foreigners visit there. You don’t get obstacles such as rocks or reefs and that provides a good surrounding to surf. For beginners, they must to take off fear first and in Weligama you can take that risk out and learn to surf under instructors with ISA (International Surfing Association) certificate. Most of the locals who took a lesson have returned,” explained the young entrepreneur.
Apart from his surfing school, Lakshitha currently runs a low budget tourist resort that provides an all-inclusive package for watersport lovers, with surfing lessons. Still in his early 20s, Lakshitha has big dreams placed in his mind, targeting international competitions, and probably a representation at the Olympic Games, now that surfing is included in the world’s topmost sporting event.
He is presently the guiding light for aspiring youngsters such as Kailash Mason, M.P.M. Nuchitha and Sameera Dilshan, who impressed at the previous Red Bull Ride My Wave competitions in the Under-16 segment.
With his earned reputation among international surfers, Lakshitha aspires to become Sri Lanka’s first surfboard maker and shaper. As in his startup in surfing, which happened without a proper trainer and mainly due to his dedication and passion, Lakshitha is of the view that his afterlife from competitions too will be an achievable target.
“Surfing has changed my life totally. I’m famous all around because of it. But there are many other aspects that connects to the sport besides just surfing, locations and waves. There’s nobody in Sri Lanka who fix and shape boards, I want to learn that craft too. Like what I achieved in surfing, I want to make that happen too. ‘Lucky Surfboards’ is not a bad name for a brand isn’t it,” quipped the happy-go-lucky wave challenger, who is all geared up for his first local competition at Hikkaduwa at the ‘Red Bull Ride My Wave 2022′.