The purpose of this event has always been to identify and nurture talented young surfers under the guidance of Surfing Swami Foundation. Mantra Grom Search' 2019 was the second edition of Grom Search here in Panambur Beach, Mangalore. About 24 kids from various parts of Mulki, Mangalore & Panambur participated under the age categories of 13 and 16. The event was organised by Surfing Swami Foundation to promote Surfing & Ocean awareness among the youth.
This surfing competition had one of the best conditions for Kids who had to contest in 2-3 ft waves, high tides, and currents. Many kids showed drastic improvement in techniques and performance compared to last year. For many, it was their first time participating in a Surf contest.
M Selvam was crowned as ‘Grom of the year’ & was presented with the FireWire Seaside Machado series Board. Mr Shamanth, director of Surfing Swami Foundation said that this was based on his year-round performance in consistently raising the standard. He constantly put in the time and effort to Surf as well as learn the discipline required to excel in the field. It gives them the confidence to try new things and push their boundaries. Sanvi, being the youngest of them all, at 9 years of age swiftly rides waves thrice her size. It was pure joy to watch her best performance to date. Naman bagged the first place in under 13 category this year & has been assisting kids here in Surf techniques & how to repair a Surfboard. Chirali's performance was surely a level up than her previous ones. She approached the waves fearlessly & effortlessly rode the waves till the end.
These kids are growing up in difficult situations. By providing them with a safe and empowering environment, the Surfing Swami foundation along with Mantra Surf Club wants to give them a better life. By protecting the Ocean, Growing the Sport and giving them the exposure to making a living by Surfing. All the kids here love the Surf life & many of them aspire to grow as Professional surfers as well!
Grom Search is not just about getting the kids into a healthy active lifestyle, but also about improving their character, their family situations and help them grow through Surfing & other Water sports. These events Empower the kids to bring a positive change in their lives & the people around them.
This year saw a change in the approach of young Groms towards leadership and taking responsibility for our environment. Everyone was cheering each other and the spirit of sportsmanship was clearly visible when they forgot about the competition and were just having fun. Even though there exists a vibe of pressure in any competition, we were glad to see many of them pushing each other to do their best & just have a good time.
We know for a fact, if we teach them to be curious towards learning, then it will take them a long way in Life. We hope that through events like these we can empower them and other kids in India to embrace the adventure lifestyle and take care of our Oceans.
The event was embraced & cheered by many local people around Mangalore. Some of our Special guests included Sasikant Senthil (DC-Mangalore), DCP Laxmi Ganesh, ACP Srinivas Gowda, Rammohan Pai (former President of KCCI , Mangalore), Yatish Baikampady (CEO of Panambur beach tourism development project), Gaurav Hegde (Director of Surfing Swami Foundation) & Henry Britto who inaugurated the event and flagged the rounds. Mr Sasikant Senthil who distributed the prizes for the winners said: "I am quite impressed by the kids’ performance and I wish these children grow in this sport and represent Nationally & Internationally in the future.”
We heart-fully extend our gratitude to Mantra Surf Club for their support. Also, we would like to thank FireWire Surfboards, Adventure Worx & Thundermonkey Surf Gear who sponsored merchandise for all winners of the competition.
Here is a list of our best performers:
Under 16 Boys
1st Place - Selvam
2nd Place - Praveen
3rd Place - Subbu
Under 13 Boys
1st Place - Naman
2nd Place - Akash
3rd Place - Prakash
Girls Open
1st Place - Chirali
2nd Place - Akhila
3rd Place - Sanvi
Although, these are the ones who bagged the prizes, all the participants performed to their best of abilities and had a great time.
As the saying goes, “The best surfer out there is the one having the most fun.