Surfer gets ahead on the waves

A man has become a tourist attraction in a seaside town after learning to surf on his head.

Dulip Kokuhannadige stunned fellow surfers when he first mounted his board and performed a headstand while riding the waves.

The 22-year-old has since got the incredible trick down to a fine art and is now turning heads in Bournemouth, Dorset.

Dulip can stay upside down and ride a wave for up to 15 seconds before it breaks and flips him over.

The builder has tried to teach his friends how to surf upside down but none of them have been able to do the stunt.

Sri Lankan-born Dulip first found he could do a headstand at sea while teaching youngsters how to surf following the Asian Tsunami in 2004.

On his first attempt he was able to stay upside down on his board for a few seconds, proving he had a natural talent.

Dulip continued to practice the act after he moved to Britain in 2005 and now spends most of his time in the sea surfing on his head.

He said that although he attracts a lot of attention he is not a show-off.

Dulip, from Bournemouth, said: "I lost everything in the Tsunami but decided to volunteer and help others by teaching them how to surf during the bad times.

"One day I decided to do something different so tried a headstand on my board.

"I can do back-flips on land so I thought I would give it a go.

"I actually managed to stay up for a few seconds so kept practicing.

"Now I can stay up for the duration of a good wave which can take me all the way onto the beach. The waves in Bournemouth can take up to 15 seconds to break."

Dulip added: "When I am riding a wave my face doesn't get too wet but when it breaks water does go up my nose.

"I don't mind though, I just hold my breath.

"I love Bournemouth as it has lots of surfers but I have found people paying me a lot of attention because of my headstands.

"I don't like showing off but I still get lots of people coming to watch."

Fellow surfer Ross Broad, 19, said: "I couldn't believe it when I first saw Dulip stand on his head.

"Most of us are just happy to stand on our boards for a few seconds let alone do it upside down.

"Others have tried to copy it but have ended up flat on their face. He's a real star and attracts crowds whenever he does it."

Dulip is now looking forward to the eminent completion of Europe's first artificial surf reef which is being currently being built in Bournemouth.

When it is finished next month the underwater reef will double the number of annual surfing days in the resort and provide waves as big as those found on Malibu Beach.