Tag: four seasons

Six surfing legends compete for trophy in inaugural Maldives comp

Australian surf legend Mark ‘Occy’ Occhilupo narrowly defeated seven-times female world champion Layne Beachley yesterday in the single fin division of the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy.

Beachley knocked out two-time world champion Damien Hardman in the semi-final, while Occy defeated world longboard champion Josh Constable to go on to face Beachley.

The first day of the invitational event saw the six surf legends – Occy, Beachley, Constable, and Hardman, as well as four-time world champion Mark Richards and Nat Young, compete at the Sultans break near Four Season’s Kuda Huraa resort.

“This morning I surfed with Mark Richards and I kept on falling off in front of him and he said ‘I’m hexing you’, but it was the pressure of competing against my idol,” said Occy, following his win.

Speaking to Minivan News between heats, Beachley explained that it was unusual for female surfers to compete against men at such an elite level of the sport.

“The ability and depth of skill has really improved in women’s surfing and has helped bridge the gap in performance [at the professional level], but it’s not really fair to pit a lightweight boxer against a heavyweight,” she said. “One big difference is that our hips get in the way when we turn – it’s an anatomical disadvantage. It’s not a worry for recreational surfers but it matters at a professional level because women can never have the technical finesse of the top guys.”

Despite the camaraderie between the champions there was, Beachley noted, a very strong competitive undercurrent.

“When you’re surrounded by world champions there is a mutual respect because we know what it takes, but when we’re paddling out no one’s there to lose,” she said.

“It’s very competitive. No guy wants to lose to a girl. The boys are amped. Their pumped up, even if they’re pretending to play it down.”

Female professional surfers, Beachley observed, tended to take not just the sport but also their responsibility as role models for other female surfers very seriously, and most were “well-spoken ambassadors.”

Beachley herself was on a board at Manly beach in Sydney Australia by age four, competing in mens heats at 15 and turning professional just a year later. By the age of 20 she was ranked sixth in the world, and in 1998 went on to win the world championship for six consecutive years.

“I always took pride in training harder than anyone else. I would be doing boxing, swimming, dune running, weights and yoga. I had a very strict cross-training regime,” she told Minivan News.

Beachley's husband, INXS sax/guitarist Kirk Pengilly, gives his wife a quick massage between waves

Asked about developing the female surfing scene in the Maldives, Beachley suggested that female surfers should “band together, and make sure the guys understand that girls have as much right to be in the water as them. Then work your way up the food chain. Don’t cry victim, it’s not the best way to get respect. Instead show tenacity and confidence and let the guys know it.”

Beginner surfers, she noted, faced not just the technical challenges of learning the sport but also the unspoken etiquette and rules that could only be passed on by other surfers.

“Beginner surfers really need to utilise a surf school,” Beachley said, “not only to because they teach the fundamentals but also the unspoken etiquette. One of the problems with surfing is that the rules are unspoken.”

In contrast to many famously territorial surf destinations, Beachley said the Maldives had a reputation for hospitality and the breaks for being “playful, fun, user friendly, more relaxing and peaceful than places like Indonesia and Tahiti.”

The country’s reef breaks, she said, were more predictable than beach breaks in that they followed a certain shape, and were easier to read.

“With beaches you have to quickly adapt to changes. The advantage to a beach break is that a sandy bottom is softer to land on,” she laughed.

Local surfer ‘Bongo’ was on hand during the Four Seasons competition to help out with conditions.

“Sultans is a right-hander, a very good wave for beginners and intermediate surfers. It has an easy takeoff and a slow first section, with time for 1-2 turns, and a nice barrel inside. On a big day it’s still a challenge. I like hollow right-handers, because I’m a natural footer,” he said.

The day saw offshore winds and 2-3 foot waves, “clean and glassy”, according to Bongo.

The competition, he predicted, would be “good for tourism” given the international publicity the big names would generate.

“Apart from that, we’re lucky to be out here seeing the legends of surfing ripping,” he said.

The Maldives has “2-3 guys like Ibu and Issay who might be able to bust a few aerial maneuvers and maybe challenge these guys, but Occy is tough competition,” he said.

“There’s also the matter of the handicap in the scoring system – older guys get more time in the heats, so I reckon the younger surfers stand no chance.”

He acknowledged that the Maldives had few female surfers dedicated to the sport, “which is really sad.”

“We’ve had a few girls try out, and some of them did very well. The problem is that it’s not easy for them to be out surfing every day, and you take a lot of bumps in a shallow reef break. All surf breaks in the Maldives are reef breaks, which makes it difficult for beginners.”

Despite the laid-back reputation of the sport, surfing remains largely a male-dominated sport with a reputation for being fiercely territorial and hostile for beginners. This was less of a problem in the Maldives given the seclusion of most breaks and the country’s dependence on tourism, he suggested.

“The locals are much more laid back than other places like Hawaii or South Africa, you don’t see scenes like the Hui or Black Shorts here. It’s mainly because all these breaks are secluded and the country is dependent on tourism – everyone is really friendly,” Bongo said.

Dhonveli’s Pasta Point and Huduranfushi’s breaks were exclusive for tourists, he said, “although if we want to surf them we just need to give the resorts a ring and ask. There’s no problem for local surfers.”

Modern surfing was famously introduced to the Maldives by Australian national Tony Hussain Hind, who was shipwrecked in the country but on his departure saw so many perfect surf breaks that he turned around and made the Maldives his home.

“He introduced modern surfing, but before that locals would body surf using planks of wood,” Bongo said. “Really, the full history of surfing in the Maldives is unknown.”

The Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy continues over the next few days with the double fin and triple fin events.

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Surfing champs descending on Maldives to contest Four Seasons prize

Some of the most revered names in competitive surfing are expected to convene in the Maldives later this year to compete in a special tournament being hosted at Four Seasons’ Kuda Huraa resort.

According to Four Seasons, six world champions including Australians Mark Richards and Layne Beachley will be among the surfers competing for US$25,000 in prize money as part of the Four Seasons Resorts Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy.

The tournament, which will be contested later this year from August 29 to September 5, will be hosted in conjunction with travel provider Tropicsurf and see three different generations of surf disciplines including Single Fin, Twin Fin and Thruster being contested.

According to the event organisers, the decision to host the tournament in the Maldives highlights the growing regard for the country as a major surf destination that it claims offers some of the “most impressive, consistent and warmest swells.”

Four Seasons said it will also be offering special packages for guests to visit Kuda Huraa and take in the competition from both land and sea.

More information on the tournament can be found here.

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Young people’s ambitions on the rise, says Four Seasons manager at apprentice graduation

Young Maldivians are becoming increasingly ambitious in their desire to be professionally successful, even compared to the generation of 10 years ago.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the Four Seasons apprenticeship program, held in Male’ this morning, Regional Vice President and General Manager for the Maldives Armando Kraenzlin observed a change in the outlook of students compared to when the resort began its training program a decade ago.

“The outlook of the students has changed, they have become more ambitious,” he said. “They come to the trainer asking “‘I want to learn a la carte and Flamberge.’ That is not something you would have heard 10 years ago.”

“Jobs were also taken for the money, not because people wanted to start a career or had a vision of themselves as successful in a particular field,” he said, adding that there was a noticeable difference in attitude between young staff starting work now, and those who had been employed 10 years ago.

Student interests had also changed, Kraenzlin noted.

“Ten years ago they all wanted to do housekeeping. Two years later it was diving. This year there’s been a run on the kitchen – 10 years ago it was impossible to convince young men to work in the kitchen – cooking was seen as a woman’s job.”

A ceremony was held this morning to mark the graduation of 30 apprentices for 2011, and inaugrate 40 into the class of 2012. It is the Maldives’ first technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) certified apprenticeship scheme, and claims almost all students get a job on graduation.

“10 years ago if you needed a waiter you would look to India or Sri Lanka, and it was impossible to find a Maldivian chef,” Kraenzlin said, noting that the resort received over 200 applications for the program.

Such is the demand that the Four Seasons’ apprenticeship scheme, which runs at the company’s two resorts at Landaa Giraavaru and Kuda Huraa, has now expanded to the point where it requires four full-time staff.

“We’ve essentially become a school,” Kraenzlin said. “It used to be that we would train apprentices for ourselves, but it has taken time and resources to meet the TVET demands.

“At the same time, there’s no full-time teachers besides the English teacher, so restaurant and housekeeping staff have to embrace teaching in addition to their own jobs.”

It was a balancing act, he explained: “The General Manager should be running the business, not giving wine courses, for instance.”

Despite the extra demands, Four Seasons was looking to expand the program up to TVET certification level three, and then to a full diploma.

“Ten years ago if you needed a waiter you would look to India or Sri Lanka, and it was impossible to find a Maldivian chef,” Kraenzlin said. “Now there are young people saying they want to introduce the world to Maldivian cuisine.”

Tourism Minister Mariyam Zulfa, who attended the ceremony this morning, said the government was looking to replicate the success of the Four Seasons apprenticeship program with other resorts in the country, and was conducting a program to raise awareness among young people as to the professional opportunities in the tourism sector.

“The new constituition allows for freedom of expression and assembly, in cases where employers are not meeting their conditions,” she said. “One way to reduce discontent is to provide training opportunities as well as make a conscious attempt to care for staff.”

One apprentice graduating this year, Yoosuf Shan, said that the course was challenging when he began as he was “totally new to the industry.”

“Another apprentice told me that whenever you reach a tough point, don’t say ‘Why me?’. Instead say: ‘Try me,’” he said.

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Celebrity couple Katy Perry and Russell Brand honeymooning in the Maldives

British comedian Russell Brand and pop star wife Katy Perry were last night rumoured to be hopping around resorts in the Maldives trying to evade paparazzi disguised as hotel guests.

The celebrity couple arrived at Male’ International Airport late Monday night on a private jet, according to Minivan News sources. Senior Airport staff are reported to have met the couple on their arrival.

Minivan News understands the couple first transferred to Four Seasons Kuda Hura in North Male’ Atoll, before surreptitiously transferring to Four Seasons Landagiraavaru after supposed media intrusion. The couple have now reportedly departed for yet another resort.

An Indian entertainment website meanwhile reported today that the Brands’ honeymoon might soon be over as the prospect of a major lawsuit arising from their wedding looms on the horizon.

An Indian activist, Akhshay Sharma, according to OneIndia, has filed a criminal complaint against the couple and two others for allegedly violating the green laws during their Hindu wedding ceremony on October 23 in India’s Ranthambore National Park, which involved a man-eating tiger.

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Tourism threatens to overwhelm mantas and whale sharks of Hanifaru Bay

In most places a 260 percent increase in tourist arrivals would be a cause for celebration. Not so for Hanifaru Bay.

Located off the uninhabited island of Hanifaru in Baa Atoll, the bay is a small enclosed reef the size of a football field. But what makes Hanifaru Bay unique and attracts tourists is the phenomena that occurs during the south west monsoon from May to November.

Interplay between the lunar tide and the south west monsoon enables build up of a massive concentration of plankton, which in turn attracts hundreds of huge manta rays and gigantic whale sharks. It’s usual to see up to 200 manta rays in a feeding frenzy, accompanied by whale sharks. The bay is one of the two sites in Maldives which acts as a cleaning station as well as feeding site for whale sharks.

Hanifaru Bay was declared a Marine Protected site last year by the government, in recognition of its importance in the ecosystem. When the bay was featured in National Geographic magazine last year, and a BBC Natural World documentary this year, the site’s fame spread all over the world.

Price of fame

“Sometimes we see up to 14 boats crammed into that little space,” says Mohamed Fathuhy, island chief of nearby Dharavandhoo.

He rues the fact that sometimes snorkelers and divers in the bay outnumber the animals.

Regulations announced by the Ministry of Environment on making the bay an MPA say that only five boats can engage in the area at any given time. It also limits the number of swimmers or divers to 80 at any one time.

However Fathuhy says  some visitors to try and touch the animals. Safari boats sometimes take money from tourists saying there is a charge for snorkeling in the area. And overcrowding is so bad that crews of visiting safari boats and others had almost come to blows over access.

Ahmed Sameer, general secretary of Youth Association of Kamadhoo, another island nearby, says his co-islanders share the concern: “We are worried that if this goes on, the animals might stop coming and the place might be destroyed.”

Asked why the interest in Hanifaru Bay, Sameer says that Kamadhoo islanders have always been a very eco-conscious people.

“Every household in the island recently signed a pact to not harvest turtle eggs or take turtles, and participate in the turtle conservation project by Four Seasons,” he explains.

Concerned and galvanised into action by the efforts of Seamarc, an environmental consultancy firm, and Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, Fathuhy and Sameer is a part of a delegation that visited the Environment Ministry yesterday to share their concern and to suggest co-management of the site.

Cries of a community

The delegation consisted of representatives from the islands of Dhonfanu,Dharavandhoo,Thulhadhoo and Kamadhoo. Province minister Ali Niyaz, Dhonfanu Councillor, Director General of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mohamed Zuhair, Mari Saleem of SEAMARC, Guy Stevens of Maldives Manta Ray Project and Executive members of Liveaboard Association Shaheena Ali and Fayaz Ismail attended the meeting alongside Minister of Environment Mohamed Aslam and Deputy Minister Mohamed Shareef.

Marie a passionate advocate of co management said “Baa atoll community would like to work with the government to help implement the regulations in place.”

“A cross section of the people in the atoll as well as stakeholders in the tourism industry, support the initiative to develop and manage Hanifaru Bay sustainable.”

The figures in Fathuhy’s presentation was impressive.

“Manta ray tourism generates an estimated US$8.1 million annually,” Fathuhy explained. Hanifaru Bay alone is estimated to generate US$ 500,000 in direct revenue for Maldivian economy this year.

A discussion ensued over wheather Baa Atoll could retain the revenues and the danger of the animals deserting the area if things continued as they were.

Some alterations to the existing regulations were proposed such as penalties for those who don’t adhere to regulations: having a fine for those coming into contact with the animals, and banning speedboats and boats with un-protected outboard engines, as well as implementing a compulsory certification system for guides and boat captains working there, and banning scuba diving in the vicinity.

Way forward

With Minister Aslam admitting that central government had difficulties in managing the MPA as well as other protected dive sites, the question arose over how best to go about it.

The lack of  wardens or an effective system of policing the area is an acute problem in Maldives concerning MPA’s.

Hence the  group discussed ways of managing the site, government or EPA managing it, going for a business model or a community based one.

The idea of forming a corporative found the most supporters with Aslam saying that “it’s a structured way of doing it as the laws are also already in place.”

Ismail and Shaheena from Liveaboard association were adamant that government had to play a major role in managing the site.

Shaheena pointed out that it would be unfair if any group got ownership of the place. “The process can’t be too democratic.”

“Tourists that hire speedboats from Male and go to that area will be disappointed if they can’t have access to the area.”

The delegation from Baa Atoll went back to their respective communities at the behest of Aslam to draw and propose a practical plan to manage the area.

While Baa Atoll community and the government try and figure out the best way to manage the area, the future of Hanifaru Bay hangs in balance along with its seasonal inhabitants.

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