The championship, which forms a critical part of the National Championship Series and plays a significant role in India’s Asian Games selection process, began with favourable weather and clean waves, providing ideal conditions for top surfers, according to the Surfing Federation of India (SFI).

In the Women's Open category, Kamali Moorthy, Sugar Shanthi Banarse, Ishita Malaviya, Devi Ramanathan, Saanvi Hegde and Shrishti Selvam secured places in the semi-finals, scheduled for the final day of the competition.

A traditional lamp-lighting ceremony marked the formal inauguration of the event. Attendees included Abhayachandra Jain, former Minister for Fisheries, Youth Services and Sports, Government of Karnataka; Darshan HV, Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate, Dakshina Kannada; Dilip Kumar, Deputy Director of Tourism, Dakshina Kannada; Pradeep D’Souza, Deputy Director, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, Dakshina Kannada; Rammohan Paranjape, Vice President, Surfing Federation of India; Deekshith Suvarna, Vice President, Karnataka Surfing Association; Shamanth Kumar, Secretary, Karnataka Surfing Association; Dhananjay Shetty, Chairman, Surfing Swami Foundation; and Saurabh Verma, Manager, Athlete Relations, Sports Authority of India, alongside other dignitaries and stakeholders.

The ceremony also featured a Chenda drum performance, a folk percussion art from coastal Karnataka, adding a local cultural dimension to the proceedings.

Competition on the opening day included the Men's Open, Women's Open, Under-18 Boys and Under-14 Boys divisions. The Men's Open category completed its initial round across 12 heats, while the Women's Open progressed through quarter-finals. Junior categories witnessed competitive heats, with the Under-18 Boys division contesting opening rounds and the Under-14 Boys category moving through quarter-finals.

The Men's Open division began with 45 surfers competing in 12 heats, with the top two from each heat advancing to Round 2 on Saturday. Notable performers were Kishore Kumar (12.90), Ramesh Budihal (12.57), Tayin Arun (12.10), Sanjaikumar S (11.84), Ajeesh Ali (11.74), Akilan S (11.66), Sivaraj Babu (11.33), Sanjay Selvamani (11.33), Harish M (10.27), Srikanth D (9.33), Ruban V (7.93) and Som Sethi (7.30).

In the Women's Open quarter-finals, Tamil Nadu's Kamali Moorthy scored an event-high 13.83 across all categories. Goa's Sugar Shanthi Banarse followed with 11.00. Both surfers secured semi-final berths with commanding performances and adept manoeuvring in challenging conditions. They were joined in the semi-finals by Ishita Malaviya (6.40), Devi Ramanathan (5.90), Saanvi Hegde (5.37) and Shrishti Selvam (5.33).

The Surfing Juniors Under-18 Boys category featured 19 surfers across six heats competing for quarter-final qualification. Successful competitors included Harish P (12.67), Tayin Arun (10.33), Som Sethi (9.93), Pradeep Pujar (9.07), Prahlad Sriram (8.60), Sheik Davudh S (6.93), Yogesh A (6.33), Raju Suresh Pujar (5.63), Praveen Pujar (4.40), Harus Mohaiyadeen (3.63), Sanku Karthek (3.07) and Akash Pujar (2.57).

The day concluded with the quarter-finals of the newly introduced Surfing Juniors Under-14 Boys category, where Harish P (11.33), Sheik Davudh S (6.67), Yogesh A (6.50), Prahlad Sriram (5.43), Prashanth (4.53), Mukhesh (3.70), Likhith Salian (2.67) and Ishant K. Sateesh (2.07) progressed to the semi-finals set for Saturday.

Shamanth Kumar, Secretary of the Karnataka Surfing Association, stated, “The response from surfers and the local community has been extremely positive. The conditions on the opening day were excellent and set the tone for a great championship. This championship plays a very important role in the national ranking system and India’s preparations for future international events, including the Asian Games.”

Saurabh Verma, Manager of Athlete Relations at the Sports Authority of India, added, “The growth of surfing in India over the last few years has been remarkable. Platforms like this championship are helping athletes gain valuable competitive exposure.”

Organised by the Mantra Surf Club and Surfing Swami Foundation under the Surfing Federation of India (SFI), the event receives support from the Government of Karnataka and the Karnataka Surfing Association. The New Mangalore Port Authority remains the title sponsor for the third consecutive year, with Cycle Pure Agarbatti and Deconstruct Skincare continuing as Gold Sponsors, highlighting increasing institutional and corporate backing for surfing development in India.