February 7–8 2026, Ahangama, Sri Lanka. The Cove Surf Jam came back this February for its third year, and managed to become a more organised version of chaos, creativity and strangely wholesome connections.
Words by Ed Templeton | 25th May 2026
For two days the corner of coast around the cove filled up with surfers, musicians, artists, filmmakers, kids, misfits, longboarders, shortboarders (Sssss!!), people wearing costumes that made absolutely no sense, and the usual ragtag of overly sunned surfers who probably should have gone home hours earlier but didn’t.
And that’s kind of the point.
Cove Surf Jam 2026
Because the Cove Surf Jam was never supposed to feel like a competition. In fact, the less it feels like one, the better it usually is.
No heats (except for the heats) No serious faces on the beach. No standing around pretending surfing is life or death. Just people sharing waves, music, food, ideas and bodily fluids, while trying not to take themselves too seriously.
Or, as I said to someone or other during the weekend:
“People who could be competitors end up as partners. That’s what makes the Jam special.”
That feeling was everywhere this year.
Aki and his crew came up from Weligama and fully committed to the cause from the second they arrived. Wild outfits & energy, throwing themselves into every jam they could paddle into. By the end of the weekend we’d created a new category and he’d won the Junior Vibes Master prize and walked away with a Ceylon Sliders longboard, looking understandably quite pleased with himself.
The debutant, Alex from Oz, who surfed most of the weekend finless, and sleepless, which was completely ridiculous and also completely brilliant. One minute he looked totally out of control, the next he was somehow threading sections like it was the cleanest thing in the world. The only thing more confusing than the surfing was the dog-on-a-leash costume Malva threw together for him, which added something really important to the occasion… we’re not sure what, but it felt important.
Jacob and Veenu stole one of the standout moments of the weekend during the “Anything But A Shortboard” Jam, tandem surfing together and somehow pulling off moves that looked half improvised, half genius. The kind of surfing where everyone on the beach starts laughing and cheering at the same time because nobody can quite believe it worked.
And then there’s Kavi.
Kavi won the Longboard Jam for the second year running, but honestly the result almost felt secondary to the way he surfs. He does things on a wave that shouldn’t really be possible. Loose, stylish, fast, completely playful. The sort of surfing that reminds you why people fall in love with surfing in the first place. No tension in it. No forcing. Just flow, timing, style, and a massive grin.
Longboard finalists reception
Off the beach, things didn’t exactly calm down.
The jam session on Saturday afternoon slowly turned into one of those slightly magic moments where people stop hovering at the edges and just get involved. The Sea Sisters film screening later that evening shifted the pace for a while before the Ceylon Sliders party kicked everything sideways again and nearly ended Sunday before it started.
Somehow everybody recovered. Or recovered enough.
By sunset on Sunday we were back under the roof at the cove for awards, drinks, vinyl, dancing and whatever else that final few hours became. Aditya build it with his sunset-perfect vinyl selection. I closed things out. It got loud. Possibly too loud for an old fella like me.… people were dancing on furniture that definitely wasn’t designed for dancing on, and by the end it felt like the whole building was shaking.
A pretty perfect finish, really.
What’s interesting is how many people said the same thing throughout the weekend. That surfing needs more of this.
Less pressure. Less performance. Less trying to turn everything into a pathway somewhere.
Matt from Ocean Culture Life put it perfectly:
“The weekend felt like a reminder of what surf culture is really about. Less pressure, more creativity, and a real sense of community in and out of the water.”
And winner Kavi says
“Cove surf jam as an event for me is about bringing the community together and leaving all the pressure and scores from usual competitions behind”
Alex, 2026 Vibes Master
That resonates with a lot of us. Because for younger surfers especially, it matters. A lot.
Aki said:
“It’s the best way to show your love for the sport.”
And honestly, he’s probably right.
Surfing has become increasingly serious over the years. More training, more structure, more performance-driven culture. And while there’s nothing wrong with progression, weekends like this remind you there’s another side to surfing that still matters just as much. Humour. Creativity. Community. Expression. Fun.
Or as Cody said while judging this year:
“I think the Cove Surf Jam is a great blend of creativity, competitive spirit, and Aloha. My boys join all of the local comps and I love that these give them drive and motivation to practice, stay in shape and strive for their best, but as we all know the best surfer out there is the one having the most fun. CSJ brings that out of everyone who participates including the volunteers.”
I’ve always liked the community side of surfing. But something felt missing. The culture around it. The music, the art, the slightly messy, grassroots feel.
So this was our attempt at that.
Inspired by the UK single fin shootout, Gliding Barnacles, Vans Duct Tape Invitational et al .
Events Less polished. More human. And mos’ def’ less serious.
Kavi - Lonboard champ 2026
We take the piss out of ourselves.
We dare to be a bit silly.
We don’t try too hard to look good doing it. (We don’t)
A humongous thanks to Kaffi, LBK, Spice Trails, Sunset Cove, Ceylon Sliders, all of the sponsors, our Soul & Surf crew, volunteers, friends, musicians, artists and everyone who brought something to the weekend.
Three years in and it still feels homemade in the best possible way.
A little rough around the edges.
A bit chaotic.
Held together with good people and good intentions.
Exactly how it should be.
Round four next year? You bet your sweet ass.
Probably.
Closing party at Soul & Surf Canteen
