Everything you wanted to know about surfing in Russia

This year the first official Russian surfing championshipBuliSurf Cup will take place. Wave conquerors will gather in Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg and Sochi to prove to everyone that surfing in Russia is real and to compete for the title of the best of the best. In preparation for the championship we managed to talk to Irina Kosobukina, one of the most famous and successful Russian surfers, who has been living in Bali for several years.

– Ira, tell us, how did it happen that you came to surfing? Was it a purposeful decision or a coincidence?
– In a way it was a coincidence. I was living in Moscow, snowboarding and I always wanted to try surfing. But I didn’t know that I would fall in love with it so much after my first trip to Bali.

After riding the wave for the first time, I realized that it wasn’t a two-week hobby, but rather a lifelong love.

– Is it easy to be a world-class female surfer when the lion’s share of athletes in the sport are men?
– On the world surfing scene, women are actually not few and far between, and they get just as much attention. So I don’t feel like I’m playing a “man’s” sport at all. And who can argue with the fact that women’s surfing is incredibly beautiful.

First of all, I had to come to terms with myself, overcome my own fear and insecurity and recognize myself as capable and entitled to compete on the international stage.

– How do men treat such girls: with respect, support or with the phrase “it’s not a woman’s business”? What stereotypes do you have to face?
– Mostly guys skate with girls as equals. There are both pros and cons to that. Girls are not harassed on the line-up, but the waves are usually not inferior to us either. On crowded spots you have to fight.

– What difficulties did you face on your way to the international level?
– First of all, I had to come to terms with myself, overcome my own fear and insecurity and recognize myself as capable and entitled to compete on the international stage.

And then, of course, hard training and preparation for competitions.

About the lowest temperature: this spring I took part in the Surf in Siberia project. It will be a full-length movie about surfing in Russia. We went to discover new spores in the Northern Kurils. The water temperature there was +2 degrees. But in fact it turned out to be not deadly at all, but very cool.

– How did it happen that you came to live in Bali?
– When I came back to Moscow after my first vacation in Bali, I realized that life in the city is not so nice to me, and the thought of the waves does not leave me. Then my boyfriend and I decided to take a risk and go to Bali, at least for a while. At that time I thought that I would spend at most a year on the island. But in the end I’ve already lived there much longer.

– What is the biggest wave you have conquered?
– Here, as they say, size doesn’t matter. It’s more about the strength, shape and speed of the wave. The most powerful waves I’ve caught on Mentawai and on the Balinese spots of Padang Padang and Impossibles. Speaking specifically about wave height, the biggest was probably 4-5 meters.

– Where would you recommend surfing in Russia?
– Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. These locations are very special: wild and incredibly beautiful places. In the Kuril Islands, it’s like being in a time machine 30 years back in time. Despite the harshness of the climate, there are amazingly friendly locals. And, of course, empty linepads.

For those who are just learning the philosophy of waves within the framework of Buli Surf Cup championship and Locals Only festival , amateur competitions will be organized, where special gifts from partners and sponsors of the festival are waiting for the guests. Those who are not yet ready to conquer the waves, a varied entertainment program of the Locals Only festival is waiting for them on the shore. Various sports zones will work for the guests: in the health zone professional trainers will tell you how to keep your body in tone with the help of special exercises and yoga, in the surfing schools anyone can get on a board and try their hand for free.

Detailed competition regulations and schedule can be found on the website of the Russian Surfing Federation and Locals Only Festival.