The west coast delivered. Seven editions in, the NMPA Indian Open of Surfing is the kind of event where reputations are made, selection spots are fought for, and the odd local underdog reminds everyone why they fell in love with surfing in the first place. Mangaluru’s final day had all of that, and then some.
For anyone who had been watching Kamali Moorthy build through the rounds, the Women’s Open final was less a surprise than a coronation. The defending champion and reigning national series winner, Kamali faced her most credible challenger in Goa’s Sugar Shanti. Sugar moved first in the final, a strong opening wave putting her ahead early. Kamali bided her time. She does that. And then, late in the heat, she found the wave she needed, posted 13.17, and that was that.
A few hours later, she paddled back out for the U-18 Girls final. Different category, same story. Kamali seized the heat from the first exchange, built her lead on a run of strong early rides, and finished with 14.83 — a score that made the outcome feel inevitable. Karnataka’s Saanvi Hegde drew the home crowd’s applause with second (5.67), and Aadya Singh took third (2.73). Two heats, two titles. A very good day at the office.
The Men’s Open final was Kishore Kumar’s moment. With 15.20 points in a final that featured some of the country’s sharpest competitive surfers, he finished ahead of Kerala’s Ramesh Budihal in second (12.87). Sivaraj Babu pushed hard in third, finishing with 11.90.
But the heat that had the crowd on their feet was the U-18 Boys final, and Pradeep Pujar knew it. The Mangaluru local had been carrying the weight of home expectations all day — and he responded with his best surfing of the championship. He finished with 12.17, ahead of Tamil Nadu’s Tayin Arun (11.26) and Prahlad Sriram (9.50). Karnataka’s only title of the week, and arguably the most satisfying one on offer.
Photo: Ravi Paranjape
The new U-14 categories, the Groms divisions, made their debut this year, and if the performances were anything to go by, Indian surfing’s future is in capable hands. Harish P dominated the boys’ final with 17.23 points, well clear of Sheik Davudh S (12.97) and Prahlad Sriram (8.40). In the girls’ division, Dhamayanthi Sriram took the win with 10.50, ahead of Arabolu Nethra (8.13) and Sanvita Kundar (5.54).
What’s next
With the event wrapped, attention now shifts to team selection for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Results here will be weighed alongside those from the Andaman Little Pro 2026, coaching camps, international results, and national rankings. For Kamali, Kishore, and the rest who performed this week, the window is open.
