From Cox's Bazar to Cloudbreak: This Week's Global Surf Highlights
The surfing world never sleeps, and this week gave us stories that span from the shores of Bangladesh to the desert landscapes of California. Whether you're a surfer chasing waves or a photographer capturing the action, these global stories are worth your attention.
Bangladesh's Wave Riders Eye Asian Games Glory
Meet Mohammad Mannan and Fatima Akhter, two surfers from Cox's Bazar – one of the world's longest beaches stretching 120 kilometers along the Bay of Bengal. As reported by The Daily Star, these athletes are preparing for surfing's historic debut at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan this September.
Mannan's journey is particularly inspiring. He started by selling seashell jewelry to support his family before turning to the waves. Despite his parents urging him to focus on studies – convinced there was no future in surfing – he held firm to his belief that the sport would eventually grow in Bangladesh. 'I believed surfing would eventually grow,' he told AFP. 'Surfing isn't a lucrative sport in Bangladesh now, but nobody can say it never will be.'
Sixteen-year-old Fatima Akhter faces her own challenges as a teenage girl surfing in a Muslim-majority nation where the sport carries social stigma. 'The moment I step onto the board, I forget everything else,' she shared. 'When I successfully ride a wave, I feel happy and fulfilled. The feeling is impossible to describe.'
These stories remind us why surf photography matters – it documents not just the waves, but the human spirit behind every ride.
Maui's Wind Surfers Dominate Fiji's Cloudbreak
Speaking of human spirit, Maui's windsurfers showed what determination looks like at the Fiji Surf Pro. Competing in 13-foot surf at Fiji's legendary Cloudbreak reef, Bernd Roediger claimed first place despite nursing a strained ACL and taking more than a month off from windsurfing. Morgan Noireaux backed him up with third place and the event's highest-scoring single wave – a 9.5-point ride.
As detailed by Maui News, the competition featured some of the most demanding conditions ever seen in professional windsurfing. Four rigs were destroyed and one competitor suffered a broken foot, showing just how intense Cloudbreak can be when it's on.
Roediger summed up the victory perfectly: 'It's an incredible feeling. I've wanted to win here since the last Fiji event in 2023, but to actually win it is totally different. So many things have to go your way. It's like a blessing.'
For photographers, these kinds of conditions create opportunities for truly dramatic shots – the kind that capture both the power of the ocean and the skill of the athletes.
California's Desert Gets Its Second Wave Pool
California just got a new surf spot, and it's surprisingly located about 100 miles from the ocean. Wavegarden has opened DSRT Surf in Coachella Valley, marking their second U.S. facility after Virginia Beach's Atlantic Park.
As The Inertia reports, this new facility represents how far wave pool technology has advanced. The pool can produce 1,000 waves per hour with over 60 different wave types, including settings specifically designed for training aerials and a powerful barrel wave called the 'Twister.'
'I never imagined I would be testing aerial waves in the middle of the desert,' said surfer Jacob 'Zeke' Szekely. 'Wavegarden has about seven incredible waves for turns, five for barrels, and around 12 variations for aerials. It's the best wave pool in the world.'
While exact public opening dates haven't been announced, sessions are expected to start at $60 per hour – significantly more affordable than California's other wave pool at Palm Springs Surf Club. This could mean more opportunities for both surfers to practice and photographers to capture perfect waves on demand.
From the determined surfers of Bangladesh chasing Olympic dreams to Maui's champions riding massive swells in Fiji, and now California's desert creating new waves – the global surf community continues to inspire us all. Each story adds another chapter to the ever-growing surf narrative, and we can't wait to see what's coming next.
