Surf News from Russia
Incredible location!
Pretty sure I surfed with Yuri at G-land in 2023.
He was riding asymmetrical Ryan Burch pickelforks.
interesting place fer sure..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzhno-Kurilsk
400km from mainland Russia, 20km from mainland Japan.. hmm..
something a bit odd here.. feels a little political? Eastern Economic Forum says:
"The project will serve the important goal of popularizing surfing in Russia, contributing to the development of domestic tourism, and strengthening international sports and cultural ties."'
https://forumvostok.ru/en/programme/sport-programme/
popularising surfing in Russia..?
6.650km from Moscow, even 1100km from Vladivostok
while it is
1100km from Tokyo, and only 400km from Sapporo
I GUESS if there is a strong push to host the olympics, and strengthen their surf team, it makes sense..?
https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/russia-explores-the-world-class-surf...
(Japan still claims these islands as part of its Northern Territories, Russia has administered the Islands since occupation in WWII - Japan and Russia never signed a peace treaty at the end of WWII because of this dispute).
what's your background @lucky-al? you have a Russian thumbnail.. did you ever get to Kamchatka? love to get some insights into ruski stuff or beautiful places in russia if you lived there.
anyone know Cam MacDougall from Caloundra? be fun to get some intel about how the comp went..
"The foreign competitors are Bruce Luqman (South Africa), Uriel Sposaro (Brazil), Cameron McDougall (Australia), and Ndlovu Mandlenkosi (Zimbabwe)"
https://hoppou.blog/kunashiri-111/
[Machine translation of part of Russian-language post on Russian Surfing Federation's Telegram Channel]
Tuesday, 19 August 2025 - The Channel One Surfing Cup "At the Edge of the World" is a joint project of the Russian Surfing Federation and Channel One.
The main goal of the project is to tell about surfing to a wide audience, to show the beauty of our country, and the development of surf tourism in Russia.
The format of the expedition and the competition was chosen taking into account the requirements for creating a TV product. This is a television-format physical education event with sixteen participants, according to the results of which no sports grades or titles are awarded. The invitation was received by foreign surfers, and applications were submitted by Russian riders who are actively involved in the life of Russian surfing, including heads of regional federations and leaders of the junior national team. Twelve Russians from among the applicants are taking part.
"At the Edge of the World" is a TV project in which Russian surfers gain international experience, and our guests from Australia, Brazil, South Africa and Zimbabwe, who performed at the WSL and ISA stages, explore one of the best surf spots in Russia and get into the spirit of Russian surfing.
For the first time in Russia, a surfing event in the Olympic discipline "short board" is being held with the participation of foreign athletes, and for the first time competitions are being held on Kunashir Island, a development point of surf tourism in Russia. In 2024, the federation organized junior training camps in the Kuril Islands, and now it's time for international competitions.
Follow the news on the Russian Surfing Federation's Telegram channel!
Friday, 22 August 2025 - Competition within the framework of the Channel One Surfing Cup "At the Edge of the World" has ended on Kunashir Island
Four islands — four teams. The fight was intense, the weather conditions were difficult, and the experience was unforgettable.
The Kunashir team
Uriel Sposaro (Brazil)
Egor Volkov
Ilya Novikov
Anna Tikhonova
The Iturup team
Isakov Evgeny
Maxim Baghdasaryan
Romanovskaya Eva
Cameron Macdougall (Australia)
The Shikotan team
Sergey Shishivaev
Daniel Zylev
Ulyana Tikholaz
Luqman Bruce (South Africa)
Paramushir team
Elena Bolysova
Mandla Ndlovu (Zimbabwe)
Kakurin Eldar
Yuri Chemodurov
The expedition "At the Edge of the World" and the competitions included in the sports program of the Eastern Economic Forum brought together athletes and the media to show the power of the ocean, the beauty of the Kuril Islands and the desire of surfers to explore new horizons.
[Machine translation of part of Russian-language post on Russian Surfing Federation's Telegram Channel]
basesix wrote:what's your background @lucky-al? you have a Russian thumbnail.. did you ever get to Kamchatka? love to get some insights into ruski stuff or beautiful places in russia if you lived there.
I'm from Wollongong, Scottish-Irish background, but studied Russian at university in the 1990s and spent two years as a student in Saint Petersburg and Vladikavkaz. I still love the language and literature and remain interested in Russian goings-on. Haven't made it to Kamchatka but have read parts of Krasheninnikov's Description. Would love to go canoeing and camping along the Ussuri River and explore the coast of southern Primorye for surf one day.
cheers, @lucky-al.. my stepfather has dreamt his whole life of going to Russia one day, he is a political analyst and loves the idea of somewhere he believes will feel very different and very familiar at the same time.. would you recommend a dude in his 70s touristing around in Russia? If you reckon it's safe, what cities/regions?
I would recommend anyone who's interested go to Russia for tourism. We took my wife's 80-year-old father for his first visit in 2019 - a week in Moscow and a week in Saint Petersburg - and had a great time wandering around, taking river cruises, going on the Metro, visiting museums and galleries and cemeteries, doing day-trips to old towns in the countryside. I don't know Cam MacDougall, but I see he visited Moscow a week or two ago and posted a few happy snaps on his Instagram:
Monday, 11 August 2025 - International competition "Channel One Cup: Surfing at the Edge of the World" will be held on Kunashir Island
From August 15 to 24, 2025, Kunashir Island (Sakhalin Region) will host an international surfing competition in the shortboard discipline, under the sports program of the Eastern Economic Forum 2025.
The competition will be combined with an expedition around the island, a result of which will be a documentary film about surfing in the Kuril Islands.
Participants from Russia, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Portugal and Zimbabwe will gather at one of the most picturesque and unpredictable surf spots in the country, Kunashir Island.
The competition will follow the ISA "Aloha Cup" rules: four mixed teams and playoffs.
The event will feature: Sergey Rasshivaev, Pedro Barbudo, Evgeny Isakov, Eldar Kakurin, Anna Tikhonova, Ulyana Tikholaz, Elena Bolysova, Yuri Chemodurov, Egor Volkov, Maxim Bagdasaryan, Eva Romanovskaya, Ilya Novikov and Dmitry Volkov, as well as the President of the Russian Surfing Federation Alexander Weinstein.
The project is being implemented by the Russian Surfing Federation and Channel One with the support of the Government of the Sakhalin Region, the Ministry of Sports of Russia and the Roscongress Foundation.
The general partner of the event is Alfa-Bank, which supports the sports events of the Russian Surfing Federation in 2025. The official partner of the competition and expedition to Kunashir Island is the bookkeeper Winline, which has placed its bet on surfing this year.
Follow the news on the Russian Surfing Federation's Telegram channel!