Water Sports
Yoni Klein Win Maldives Open Surfing Championship
Maldives.net.mv – After two days of perfect weather and surfs, Yoni Klein has won the Asian Surfing Championship Maldives Open 2015 by defeating Raditya Rondi at the finals in Lohis. Rina Kitazawa succesfully defended her title in Women’s division. Ali Khusruwan claimed Bodyboarding division by beating Ali Javid.
The championship was concluded with the awarding ceremony which took place on 16th September at Lhohis, Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi. The Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports, Ahmed Zuhoor attended the event as the chief guest alongside the Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC), Abdulla Ziyath. At the ceremony which took place yesterday evening, Minister Ahmed Zuhoor presented the awards for the main category which was the “Men’s Open” category. Managing Director of MMPRC, Abdulla Ziyath handed the awards for the “Body Boarding” category, followed by the awards for the “Women’s Open” category for which the awards were presented by the Secretary General of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), Bassan Adil Jaleel.
Maldives Open 2015 was a collaborative effort from Maldives Body Boarding Association (MBBA), Ministry of Tourism and the Asian Surfing Championship (ASC) under a signed MOU for 5 years, starting 2014. This was the 2nd annual event for this championship which ended successfully. This event is hosted by the Adaaran HudhuranFushi Resort every year as the primary host.
Several local and international participants were given special awards from ASC, for the recognition for their efforts throughout the competition. The President of MBBA, Abdulla Areef and the vice president of MBBA, Mohamed Khushruwan Ahmed later on expressed their support towards helping the disabled, by giving a generous donation to the Maldives Association of the Physical Disables (MAPD). Afterwards, Certificates of Appreciation were also handed out to all the sponsors by Abdulla Areef for their support and help in making the event a success.
The event concluded with a cultural performance by a boduberu group and a cocktail reception hosted by the Adaaran Resort. This event is the third International surfing event to take place in Maldives after O’Neill and Sri Lankan Airlines Pro Surfing Event, which went off tremendously well with a lot of support from the participants and sponsors. Such events would further put Maldives as a sought after surf destination in the global arena.
Men’s Open
1) Yoni Klein (Israel) – 13.13 pts
2) Raditya Rondi (Indonesia) – 11.83 pts
3rd) Garut Widiarta (Indonesia)/Made Adi Putra (Indonesia)
Bodyboard
1) Ali Khushruwan (Maldives) – 14.00 pts
2) Ali Javed (Maldives) – 13.23 pts
3rd) Gavin Botha (South Africa)/Ahmed Rasheed
Women Open
1) Rina Kitazawa (Japan) – 13.17 pts
2) Kailani Johnson (USA/Indonesia) – 10.13 pts
3) Caity Griffin (USA) – 9.86 pts
4) Amy Kotch (USA) – 8.13 pts
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COMO Maalifushi highlights uncrowded surf access across southern atolls
COMO Maalifushi presents a considered approach to surfing in the Maldives—one shaped by access, expertise, and the quiet privilege of space.
Located in the remote Thaa Atoll, the resort offers entry to a network of lesser-travelled breaks across the southern atolls, where consistent Indian Ocean swells meet uncrowded line-ups. Here, surfing unfolds without urgency—guided by natural rhythm rather than routine.
At the core of the experience is COMO Maalifushi’s long-standing partnership with Tropicsurf, daily sessions are shaped by real-time ocean conditions, with coaching that adapts intuitively to each guest—whether taking to the water for the first time or refining technique across more complex reef formations.
Guests are given access to a curated selection of breaks across Thaa Atoll, Laamu Atoll and Dhaalu Atoll—each offering a distinct character. From the long, forgiving rides of Farms to the more technical, fast-moving rights of ‘Machine’, the programme is designed to evolve with both conditions and capability.
“Surfing at COMO Maalifushi is defined by its sense of space and possibility,” says Peter Nilsson, Managing Director, COMO Maldives. “Our location allows access to some of the Maldives’ most consistent yet uncrowded waves, and through our partnership with Tropicsurf, we’re able to offer an experience that is both highly personalised and quietly exceptional—true to COMO’s way of doing things.”
The season, which runs from April through October, brings steady swells from the southern Indian Ocean. Yet beyond seasonality, it is the absence of crowds that defines the experience—allowing guests to engage with the ocean on their own terms.
Surfing at COMO Maalifushi sits naturally within the wider rhythm of the island. Time in the water is balanced with restorative treatments at the COMO Shambhala Retreat, unhurried dining, and the simplicity of island life—creating a sense of flow between activity and stillness.
Here, surfing is guided with care, framed by nature, and experienced without excess.
For more information, please visit the resort’s website.
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Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa to stage 14th edition of Surfing Champions Trophy
The Indian Ocean provides consistent surf conditions throughout the year, but each September, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa hosts the Surfing Champions Trophy at the Sultans break. The event is scheduled to return from 4 to 11 September 2026, bringing together professional surfers, guests and spectators.
Now in its 14th edition, the Surfing Champions Trophy is an invitation-only event featuring professional surfers competing across three board disciplines: single fin, twin fin and thruster. The competition takes place at Sultans, a reef break in North Malé Atoll, with Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa serving as the base for participants, officials and attending guests.
The line-up for the 2026 edition will be announced in stages in the coming months.
The event was first held in 2011, with Mark Occhilupo winning all three divisions and the Grand Champions Final. Since then, previous winners have included Damien Hardman (2012), Taylor Knox (2013), Dave Rastovich (2014), Shane Dorian (2015), Taj Burrow (2016, 2017 and 2024), Josh Kerr (2018 and 2019), Kelly Slater (2022), and Joel Parkinson (2023).
Over the years, the competition has also featured a range of international surfers, including Carissa Moore, Maya Gabeira, Tom Curren, Rob Machado, Layne Beachley, Bethany Hamilton, Mikey February, Jeremy Flores and Jadson Andre.
The 2025 edition saw Tahitian surfer Michel Bourez secure victory despite sustaining a hamstring injury during the event. He won both the thruster division and the Grand Champions Final, achieving the only perfect score of the competition in the closing moments of the final. Other participants included Owen Wright, Jesse Mendes, Craig Anderson and Maldivian wildcard Ismail Rasheed.
In parallel with the event, the resort offers the “Surf’s Up” package, which includes coaching sessions with Tropicsurf professionals, guided surf trips, daily yoga sessions, spa treatments, and accommodation with transfers. The package is available to guests seeking to participate in surf-related activities during the event period.
Updates on the 2026 competition, including participant announcements, will be released through official channels of the Surfing Champions Trophy and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa.
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Eri Maldives offers accessible reef diving and snorkelling
Eri Maldives is located within the waters of North Malé Atoll and is surrounded by a house reef accessible to both beginner and experienced divers. With four direct reef entry points and shore access, the resort offers opportunities for snorkelling, introductory dives and certified diving.
The house reef supports a range of marine life, including white-tip and black-tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, hawksbill turtles, mobula rays and spotted eagle rays, as well as schools of reef fish. The accessibility of the reef allows guests to explore the area over multiple days, providing opportunities to observe marine behaviour and habitats over time.
Turtle encounters
Hawksbill turtles are among the most frequently observed species on the reef. The resort’s dive team has identified 14 individual turtles, each recognised by shell patterns and physical features. These include turtles known as Rosie, Cara and Anna, which have been documented through repeated sightings.
The resort maintains records of these turtles, allowing returning guests to identify individuals over time. Guests may also contribute to this initiative by naming newly identified turtles that have not previously been recorded.
Manta ray season
From December to April, manta rays are known to visit cleaning stations at Bodu Hithi Thila, located approximately one hour by boat from the resort. During this period, ocean conditions support plankton flows that attract mantas to the area, where they can be observed feeding or visiting cleaning stations.
Night diving experiences
Night snorkelling and diving activities provide a different perspective on reef activity. Species such as reef sharks, trevallies, moray eels and nurse sharks become more active after dark, offering guests the opportunity to observe nocturnal marine behaviour.
At Eri Maldives, marine experiences form a central part of the guest offering, with the house reef providing consistent opportunities for exploration. The resort’s dive programme is designed to support repeated interaction with the marine environment, allowing guests to experience a range of underwater activity throughout their stay.
Accommodation is available in studio and beach villa categories, with full board packages offered for direct bookings, subject to availability.
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