The first edition of India Paddle Festival was held at Sasihithlu beach, near Mangaluru, on March 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: MANJUNATH H.S.
World No. 2 Christian Andersen, former world champion Daniel Hasulyo, and four-time world champion and the defending women’s champion Esperanza Barreras confirmed their participation in the three-day India Paddle Festival, the country’s international stand-up paddling event.
Mangaluru is getting ready to host the second edition of the event from March 7-9.
Leading India’s charge will be the formidable Sekar Patchai, reining national champion and 25-time title-holder. The event is organised by the Surfing Swami Foundation and Mantra Surf Club, in collaboration with WrkWrk, at the scenic Sasihithlu beach.
According to the organisers, the women’s category will see the return of defending champion Esperanza Barreras from Spain, a four-time International Surfing Association (ISA) SUP World Champion. She will be joined by South Africa’s rising star Chiara Vorster and Korea’s SUP champion Lim Sujeong, among others, in a bid for supremacy in Indian waters.
The men’s category promises an intense contest, featuring top global athletes Antonio Morillo from Spain, who narrowly missed the title in 2024, and Christian Andersen from Denmark, who is the current World No. 2.
Adding to the competition’s depth, former World Champion Daniel Hasulyo (Hungary) brings his wealth of experience while Will Keetley from the U.K. prepares to make his mark in the waters of Sasihithlu beach.
Local favourite and India’s top-ranked stand-up paddler Sekar Patchai will spearhead the Indian contingent. A 25-time national SUP champion, Mr. Patchai is determined to make a mark in home waters. He will be joined by Manikandan, one of India’s fastest-rising stand-up paddlers, as they take on the international competition.
The event will feature strong contingents from Thailand and Indonesia.
The India Paddle Festival 2025 will feature multiple SUP race formats, including sprint, technical, and distance races, pushing the endurance and agility of the athletes.
Over 40 stand-up paddlers will be competing across four different categories — Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Junior U-16 Boys, and Girls.
With India’s recent breakthrough in securing its first-ever surfing quota for the Asian Games, the festival marks another milestone in the country’s evolving water sports landscape.
The event is supported by the Department of Tourism and Association of Paddle Surf Professionals (APP) World Tour, the official World Championship Tour for stand-up paddling.
Published – March 05, 2025 12:19 pm IST