I am sitting in a tuk-tuk carelessly sneaking through the chaotic traffic of Colombo way faster and way more dangerously than it should be. All around me I pass by thousands of people looking busy with their everyday lives. Drivers, beggars, porters, passengers, policemen with white gloves, buddhist monks dressed in orange, schoolboys in uniform, street food sellers, and hordes of ordinary people just going somewhere. I wonder what they do all day. I wonder what their reality is like. I came to Sri Lanka to experience first hand the spirit of a country in which everyone these days seems to be interested in.
![Logging In](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/1664/337406/5c94d745338d1/Logging-In.jpg)
I like being in places like this, places were everything is in the making and that somehow give me a glimpse of what our future will look like. They’re called emerging economies, I call them places of tomorrow. For me, they resemble the way most of our world will look in a few decades from now. For the good and for the bad. They serve as open-air labs for social experiments in finding alternative paths to a new reality. For sure Sri Lanka is typical of this type of place with its booming economy, increasingly recognised as a top tourism destination and with a fast-growing hype, based on Instagram stories and fashionable shots of cool people and hipster-surfers coming for its mellow waves and tropical beaches. So here I am to better understand Sri Lanka, its waves and its hype. Sri Lanka, in fact, is an interesting and varied country, home to a wide array of cultures, traditions, ethnic groups and languages; it also has the highest biodiversity density in Asia. While the culture, history and wildlife are a big draw, the main attractions for surfers are the variety of waves, warm water, and reliable Indian Ocean swells. After a few days spent visiting the capital city, I decided to travel down south in search for some surf.
Bu hikaye SUP International dergisinin Spring 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye SUP International dergisinin Spring 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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![Turning Points](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1664/433021/5e8348ff67ca6/crp_Turning-Points.jpg)
Turning Points
With spring in the air and the start of a new decade, thoughts naturally turn to what we can do differently in the name of betterment. Finn Mullen reflects on some changes to consider when looking to improve your SUP surfing.
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THE CLOSE OUT- TREV'S GREAT BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE
I have had my fair share of great birthdays, usually coinciding with a national holiday in a country that I’m visiting. But this one was a bit different.
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Paddle Science #18 - The Body Fortress. Boosting Immunity
At this time of year, the rate of infection for colds and flu normally tends to slow down as we enter warmer, springtime months. However, if you’ve been anywhere at all in the world recently, then there’s one word you can’t escape at the moment: Coronavirus. Infection rates, mortality rates and prognostic data are changing daily at the moment. As a new virus none of us have previously been exposed to it, meaning that currently, we have no immunity to it. It’s only through being infected by a virus that our bodies are able to make the right antibodies to not only enable us to recover but to also help protect us from any recurrent and future infection from it. If you’re keen to stay well and keep getting out on your SUP board this spring, then focussing on boosting your immune system is a positive step to take.
Ceylon Stories
Like a teardrop on the tip of the Indian sub-continent, Sri Lanka is a little tropical El Dorado of beautiful landscapes, rich cultural heritage and people with incomparable kindness. Thanks to its favorable exposure to the swells of the Indian Ocean, the has a large number of good waves along its incredible southwest coast where French pro Alexis Deniel and his partner Melanie had an unforgettable experience this winter. Discover their colorful journey through this dream destination sharing its jewels after decades of civil war and the tragedy of the 2004 tsunami.
![Polar Bear](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1664/433021/5e8349018f96d/crp_Polar-Bear.jpg)
Polar Bear
In 2019, the Polar Bear showed the world his teeth. After a fourth place in the toughest SUP race in the world, the Red Bull Heavy Water, the now 19-year old Christian Anderson became World Champion in November in the Technical Race at the ISA World Championships in El Salvador. He also won the U-18 title on the Euro Tour with an 11th place overall. What’s behind the young Dane's rise to power?
![SHADENFREUDE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1664/433021/5e8353995f4ec/crp_SHADENFREUDE.jpg)
SHADENFREUDE
TEST REPORTS
![Desire Lines](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1664/433021/5e8348da30a92/crp_Desire-Lines.jpg)
Desire Lines
We were on the outskirts of Helsinki, scouting a new destination for our sup camps. Just 45 minutes’ drive from the city, the untouched nature of the Nuuksio National Park stretched out before us. Mirror-smooth lakes, wild herbs and an impressive fauna waiting to be explored over on board or on foot via the many desire lines made by the land mammals.
![Magical. Mystical. Epic.](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1664/433021/5e83439c4839c/crp_Magical-Mystical-Epic.jpg)
Magical. Mystical. Epic.
Alexandra is a club ambassador and SUP racer for Bray Lake; relatively new to the SUP scene she completed her first race season in 2019. She participated in her first international event, the Gla Gla, 2020, and placed 1st Brit, 8th lady and 81st overall, out of a mass start of 637 paddlers. Here she shares the highlights of her first Gla Gla experience.
![Green Medicine](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1664/433021/5e834aea8bdb1/crp_Green-Medicine.jpg)
Green Medicine
As a keen outdoorsman and busy GP, Paul Sampson has come pretty close to attaining the mercurial work-balance. When not busy with his patients, he can be found hiking, climbing, paddle boarding, wild swimming… anything that gets him outside soaking up the great outdoors and reconnecting with nature in the beautiful South of Cornwall.
![Depth Charge](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1664/433021/5e834849b4775/crp_Depth-Charge.jpg)
Depth Charge
Many of us have are staying away from the beach for a while, some are confined to our homes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still train for the surf. If you try the following for just one week you’ll see results, never mind three months…