The State is all set to host international Surfing, Paragliding and Mountain Cycling championships in February-March this year. The International Surfing Festival will be held at Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram on February 27 and 28, the International Paragliding Festival at Vagamon in Idukki from March 19 to 23 and Mountain Terrain Biking Championship (MTB Kerala 2025) on March 28 and 30 at Mananthavady in Wayanad.
All the three events are being organised by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) under the Tourism Department, in association with the District Tourism Promotion Councils (DTPCs) concerned. Surfers from different parts of the country will vie for honours in various categories such as SUP Technical Race, Paddle Board Technical Race and SUP Surfing. Technical support for the event is being extended by Surfing Federation of India and International Surfing Association (ISA).
The International Paragliding Festival, India’s biggest aero sports event, to be held at the picturesque backdrop of Vagamon, will have around 75 gliders vying for honours, of whom 40 will be from abroad. The participants will be from 25 countries including France, Italy, US, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, UK, Belgium, Turkey, Sweden, Denmark, Peru, Czech Republic, Norway and Canada, besides States like Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh.
The highlight of the fest will be the competition for Vagamon International Accuracy Cup 2025 featuring the best paragliding pilots from world over, which will be the first Top Landing event in the world. KATPS is organising the event in association with DTPC, Idukki. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), Aero Club of India, and Orange Life Paragliding School, India will provide technical support to the event.
Cyclists from about 25 countries are expected to participate in the eighth edition of the International Mountain Cycling Championship (MTB Kerala 2025). The event will also feature amateur competitions of cyclists from India. The winners can compete with global cyclists of MTB Kerala. The five-km-long track for the race is above 3,000 feet from the sea level. The major attraction of the event is the Cross-Country cycling in which cyclists have to negotiate the muddy, rocky and puddled terrains. MTB Kerala has been featured in the MTB calendar of Switzerland-headquartered Union Cyclist International, the administrative arm of sports cycling. KATPS is organising the annual event in collaboration with DTPC Wayanad and Cycling Federation of India (CFI).
Published - January 27, 2025 07:15 pm IST
