Hundreds turned out yesterday for the Maldives Surfing Entertainment Surf Show near the tsunami memorial, perusing merchandise by day and dancing to music by local and guest DJs late into the night.
The event, which runs September 16 and 17, was organised by Maldives Surfing Entertainment. Sport clothing companies Sea Sports, Sony Sports, and Round-Up displayed their wares in tents evoking the minimalist surf shack atmosphere.
Maldives Surfing Association Event Organiser Mohamed Shabeen was optimistic about the event, which is the first in an annual series of surf shows.
“The goal was to raise awareness of surfing culture. Surfing has been picking up lately, more young people are coming out and we have had good feedback on the show so far,” said Shabeen.
Shabeen said that local groups were supportive of the initiative. “This wall you see here is not normally allowed, but we were allowed to build it for the event,” he said, pointing at the wooden barrier that demarcates the area as a festival space.
Set-up for the event was done by approximately 40 local surfers over three days, said Shabeen. The set-up includes surf board displays, plant decorations, and a light and sound system for the evening concerts.
While the surf show attracted families and children during the day, youth turned out in swarms for the concert at night. The show featured trance and techno music in sync with light displays and fog machines. DJs regularly called out to the crowd below, “Are we having a good time? This is a new era, we are here to celebrate!”
DJs and staff noted that this is the first time an outdoor rave has been held on Male in some time, and said most parties take place on a smaller, more subdued scale.
“What do you say when you just want to go ‘AHHHH!!’?” said one concert-goer. “That is how we feel right now, this is our outlet, we are finally able to express ourselves out here and have a good time.”
Others suggested that religious conservatism on Male’ has kept the youth from celebrating in public, and said they hoped that events such as the surf show would be held more often.
The event was organised by Maldives Surf Entertainment Director and Surf Guide Ahmed Azniel. Shabeen said he hopes this weekend’s surf will garner attention for a surfing contest to be held in November at South Foahmulaku, in honor of the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit.
Correction: The article previously stated that the 2011 Surf Show was a cooperative event between Maldives Surf Entertainment and Maldives Surfing Association. It should have read, “The event, which runs September 16 and 17, was organised by Maldives Surfing Entertainment.”
Correction: The article previously stated “The event was organised by Maldives Surf Entertainment Director and Surf Guide Mohamed Azniel. It should have read, “The event was organised by Maldives Surf Entertainment Director and Surf Guide Ahmed Azniel.”
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"Bovenjeheynay boanjeheynay"! way to go president Nasheed!
Let’s go back oldies; there is nothing better than enjoying life. We want see joyful young generation who loves music, romance, dance in colorful costumes mixed with boys and girls free from fear of blood sucking God who the Mullahs say will fry human being for enjoying the beautiful life that creator has given us. God wants us to enjoy life to its fullest. Don’t miss it with fear of some imaginary Frankenstein. There is no physical life after death, there is no monster waiting for us who has a hell or heaven to reward or to punish. This is all part of old cultures that scarified human to satisfy gods or prayed thinking that rains that fertilized the crops was from a god who created us.
Oai Kaloa! Thoa muruthadhdhu nivei vaa....Rehendhi, thagey ammai bappaai dhire thethibiyaa????
Kaloa! tha dhefaaveragen magi ove life enjoy keraakalaki thekan balaah beynunnivey maagina meehun thethibikan handhaan kerai....tha bole kudhuveylei gabilhakun jehifei beysnikoh hishe bondoveemei vefeihishi lekah hen mahheevenee
was there. was great and had a good time. but sadly met many peeps high on drug. i think it was ecstasy.
HEHEHEHEE! You mad mullahs? Let's party till morning!
Well done kids have a great time; but be serious on week days study and work hard to achieve things that you desire in life.
Forget about mullahs they only rattle to get political power, which is all about god and life after death.
When i was back from hukuru, I saw them doing preparations for the show avoiding their hukuru. people you can go and dance and do what ever you like. but soon you finished your enjoyment, please go to home and think about the reason why we came to this world. Always go for truth. May god guide the young generation.
Finally, we see some common sense! This is what life is about. Go and have a good time and enjoy yourself. Like someone else said, work hard and study hard. But relax too, and enjoy your free time.
The Maldivian youth need more of these to release their energy and just to chill out. We are blessed with some of the most beautiful creations of nature and its all around us.
Let's leave that "Frankenstein" image aside for a while, like someone said and enjoy life. Hope this becomes a regular event. I'm not at all surprised that some were high on drugs. That's not because of an event like this; they'd have been high on some shit anyway, wherever they were.
Hell, c'mon boys and girls; party a bit more. We may even enjoy our life!
Hello fellow Maldivians, think about the god’s gift of imagination we human have. Do you think this powerful tool is to be wasted? We have been gifted this powerful tool of imagination to be creative and make everything as beautiful as possible as the nature itself. Use your imagination to make everyone happy. Happy is what creator wants us to be. A laugh everyday keeps the doctor a way is toddy’s saying. So it is the proof that the creator has created us to be happy. Remove that black chador from your faces and heads and keep smiling, you will find god in you. The female sex is created with lot of traits that male sex can enjoy and admire. Forcing to cover your women’s heads and faces in the name of preserving feminism is selfish and inhuman act. We human have conscience to control our animal instinct and natural wild behavior. Mullahs don’t have conscience and they think we are all animals. We behave because we know what is right and what is wrong not by freighting the way the herds are controlled
God vs Dancing?
god, why dont u just dance and do whatever without Mullah bashing? whats with you guys...do u have to convince the "mullahs" that all you do is good? do u owe them an explanation?
This is the beginning of the end of Maldives!
Don't think about the people who dance there. They are just 2 3 people who's are rubbish in our community. Drug addicts, homo sex, child sex, gang fights etc.. Most of the young youths are very good, praying 5 times a day giving zakath to poor and helping old mom and dad.