Surfing's Global Pulse: Bangladesh, DSRT Surf & Maui Windsurfing
The surf world never sleeps, and this week's news covers everything from a small club in Bangladesh making a big splash to a high‑tech wave pool opening in the California desert and a pair of Maui windsurfers lighting up a legendary reef. Here’s the lowdown on what’s happening beyond your local break.
Bangladesh's Surf Girls and Boys Make Waves
On the long stretch of Cox's Bazar, the Bangladesh Surf Girls and Boys Club may look like a weather‑beaten shack, but its ambitions are huge. Two of its members, 16‑year‑old Fatima Akhter and 25‑year‑old Mohammad Mannan, are eyeing the Asian Games in Japan, where surfing will debut as an Olympic‑style event. Akhter says, 'The moment I step onto the board, I forget everything else,' a feeling she describes as 'impossible to describe.' Mannan, who once sold seashells to support his family, taught himself by watching YouTube videos of John John Florence. He believes surfing will eventually grow in Bangladesh, even though it isn't a lucrative sport there yet. The pair's journey is a reminder that surf culture can sprout in the most unexpected places, as reported by The Daily Star.
Wavegarden Opens Second US Wave Pool in Coachella Valley
Wavegarden just added another playground for surfers in the United States. The company opened DSRT Surf in Coachella Valley, its second American wave pool after the one in Virginia Beach. The facility can generate up to 1,000 waves per hour and offers more than 60 different wave types, including a special setting for aerials and a barreling option called the 'Twister.' Jacob 'Zeke' Szekely, who tested the pool, said, 'I never imagined I would be testing aerial waves in the middle of the desert.' Sessions are expected to start around $60 per hour, making it a more affordable alternative to Palm Springs Surf Club. The pool is slated to open to the public in late summer, and surfers are already buzzing about the chance to ride perfect barrels without leaving the mainland, as covered by The Inertia.
Maui Windsurfers Shine at Fiji Surf Pro
At the legendary Cloudbreak reef in Fiji, Maui windsurfers Bernd Roediger and Morgan Noireaux turned heads. Roediger claimed first place despite competing with a strained ACL and a month off the water, while Noireaux posted the highest single‑wave score of the event, a 9.5, before settling for third overall. Roediger said, '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.' The competition featured some of the biggest conditions seen on the World Windsurfing Tour this season, with four rigs destroyed and one competitor breaking a foot. Australia’s Jane Seman won the women’s division, reclaiming the Cloudbreak title she first earned in 2022. The event underscores how Maui’s windsurfing community continues to produce world‑class talent, as reported by Maui News.
Whether you’re chasing a new wave in the desert, watching the next generation of surfers from Bangladesh, or cheering on Maui’s windsurfers in Fiji, there’s plenty to keep the stoke high. Keep an eye on Surf Snaps for more updates, and let us know which story sparked your imagination the most.
