Japan Sweeps All Four Titles at Shore Temple Classic in Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram: Japan dominated the final day of the Shore Temple Classic QS 2000 and Pro Junior at Mahabalipuram Beach, winning all four titles across the Men’s and Women’s QS 2000 and Pro Junior divisions.
Mirai Ikeda wins Women’s QS 2000
In the Women’s QS 2000 final, Mirai Ikeda of Japan secured the title with a score of 14.00, defeating Thailand’s Isabel Higgs, who finished runner-up with 12.40.
Ikeda won the closely contested final by 1.60 points.
Ikko Watanabe takes Men’s QS 2000 title
The Men’s QS 2000 final saw an all-Japanese contest, with Ikko Watanabe edging compatriot Tenshi Iwami by just 0.33 points.
Watanabe recorded 17.10, the highest score of the event’s finals, while Iwami finished with 16.77.
Japan takes both Pro Junior titles
In the Women’s Pro Junior final, Hinata Shimizu won the title with a score of 14.23, finishing two points ahead of fellow Japanese surfer Hinano Shimizu, who scored 12.23.
Thailand’s Isabel Higgs finished third with 10.53, while Mirai Ikeda placed fourth with 6.56.
The Men’s Pro Junior title went to Japan’s Yuma Nagasawa, who scored 14.17 to defeat compatriot Ren Okano, who finished with 13.00.
Sentaro Sakai took third place with 9.13, while Taro Takai finished fourth with 8.07.
Indian surfers gain international experience
The final day brought the Shore Temple Classic to a close after surfers from across Asia and other regions competed for World Surf League (WSL) Asia Region ranking points.
Japan’s clean sweep across all four divisions highlighted its strong performance throughout the competition, while Thailand also made an impact through Isabel Higgs.
Indian surfers competed against international athletes during the event, gaining experience on the WSL competition circuit.
Arun Vasu, President of the Surfing Federation of India and Asian Surfing Federation, thanked the participating surfers, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), Surfing Federation of India, Tamil Nadu Surfing Association (TNSA) and volunteers for their support.
He also said that the Surfing Federation of India is looking forward to hosting a WSL event in the Andaman Islands in March 2027 and is working towards another WSL event next year.
The Shore Temple Classic was organised by the Surfing Federation of India (SFI) and Tamil Nadu Surfing Association (TNSA) and sanctioned by the World Surf League (WSL).
