Tanvi Jagadish to be lone Indian in US surfing event

Mangaluru: Promising young surfer from the city, Tanvi Jagadish, is set to represent the country in the surfing event at the Writsville beach in North Carolina, USA.

Tanvi, a first year pre-university student at Sharadha PU college in Mangaluru, started surfing at the age of 14 at Mantra Surf Club in Mulki though she was introduced to the sport when she was eight.

The first Indian female Stand-Up Paddler (SUP), she would be participating in the under-17 category at the West Marine Carolina Cup 2017, which would start on April 19.

"I will be landing there a few days before the start of the event to train and get used to the weather and water conditions there," she told reporters on Saturday.

Tanvi is the only female surfer representing India in the event.

"This competition is very important for me as it will give me more experience and good training for the next ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship to be held in Denmark," she said.

Tanvi said she expects a tough competition as the participants at the event are much more experienced than her.

Tanvi conducts SUP classes for students, including budding engineers from NIT-Karnataka at nearby Suratkal.

She is a national-level champion in stand-up paddle surfing and stand-up paddle racing.

Last year, she represented team India in the international world SUP championship held by the International Surfing Association in Fiji.

Facing financial crunch to participate in international events, she is currently being supported by the Dakshina Kannada district administration.

She is also raising funds through Ketto (crowd funding).