Nepal and Bangladesh have joined the International Surfing Association (ISA), as the sport's governing body intensifies its expansion to the Asian continent.
They're the 90th and 91st member nations of ISA, respectively. Nepal may be a landlocked country, but its stand up paddle community is growing every month. The Marshyangdi mountain river is the perfect spot for SUP activities and contests.
"This is a great opportunity for us to further the growth of surfing and SUP in Nepal. Surfing provides many benefits to participants and communities and working together with the ISA will enable us to continue to provide motivation, hope and inspiration," underlines Fred Aakerlund, president of the Nepal National Surfing Federation.
The Bangladesh Surf Club was formed in 2003 with the support of the humanitarian organization Surfing the Nations. The surf scene is growing steadily, and National Surfing Championships are running since 2005.
"There are now many young men and women who are regularly surfing , participating in beach clean-ups, learning lifesaving skills and training beginner surfers. Our members now identify themselves as surfers no matter what social group they were born into," adds Jafar Alam, president of the Bangladesh Surf Club.