Surfers Flock to Songjeong Beach, the Surfing Hotspot... Busan Mayor's Cup International Surfing Competition Held

June 19-20, Over 400 Competitors in 6 Men’s and Women’s Categories Compete

‘Busan KOREA OPEN’ Newly Established, First Time Awarding National Team Selection Points

A surfer riding the waves at Songjeong Beach in Haeundae-gu, Busan. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] ‘Surfing Busan (BUSAN)’! Surfers are flocking to Busan. About 400 surfers gather at Songjeong Beach in Haeundae-gu, Busan, which has established itself as a domestic surfing sanctuary, to compete in their skills.

The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Hyung-jun) announced on the 18th that it will host the ‘12th Busan Mayor’s Cup International Surfing Competition’ at Songjeong Beach for two days from the 19th to the 20th, organized by the Busan Surfing Association.

The Busan Mayor’s Cup International Surfing Competition has been held at Songjeong instead of Haeundae since the 2019 event.

Songjeong Beach is a famous domestic surfing spot visited by surfing enthusiasts nationwide throughout the year. It is located where the South Sea and East Sea meet, featuring gentle water depths, warm water temperatures year-round, and waves and wind conditions suitable for surfing.

Surfing, which was first adopted as an official event at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, is gaining more attention and is a representative leisure sport that can be safely enjoyed amid the COVID-19 situation.

This competition will be held in six categories: General Division (Longboard, Shortboard, SUP Race), Beginner Division, Youth Division, and Busan KOREA OPEN.

The General and Beginner Divisions will be conducted separately for men and women, while the Youth Division will be held as a mixed-gender competition. The top three winners in each category will receive trophies and prizes through awards. Additionally, a side event called beachcombing (beach cleaning) will be held to promote environmental cleanup activities.

This year, the Busan KOREA OPEN category has been newly established and will be conducted in a tournament format according to the International Surfing Association (ISA) rules. This is the first time the Busan Mayor’s Cup International Surfing Competition awards points for national team selection.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun of Busan said, “This year, with the establishment of the Busan KOREA OPEN category, it will be a meaningful competition providing opportunities to discover outstanding national team athletes,” adding, “We will support the further activation of surfing to enhance the status of Busan as a marine sports city.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.