Bangladeshi surfer Zafar Alam flew off to the island state of Hawaii last night to take part in the International Surfing Contest later this month.

The 28-year-old from Cox's Bazar will take part in the two-day competition, to be held on April 24 and 25, with the top 140 surfers from around the world.

The choppy waters of Hawaii was the scene of Zafar's first tryst with top-class surfing when he took part in the International Freedom Surfing Contest in May last year and came out sixth among 130 surfers.

Zafar will have a busy time in Hawaii as he will attend a 20-day programme at the North Shore Lifeguard Station and will attend a film festival in mid-April where a documentary on his life as a surfer called 'Gum For My Board' will be shown.

Surfing The Nations president Tom Bauer will take care of all his expenses like last year.

Zafar, who hails from a poor family in Baharchhara village ofCox's Bazar district, also took part in competitions in Bali, Indonesia and another in his hometown last October.

His surfing days began in 1997 when he saw an Australian tourist surfing in Cox's Bazar. Zafar followed him to the waves where the Aussie was shocked to see his courage in the rough waters. Zafar bought the surfing board for $20 and taught himself the surface water sport for the next five years.

“My goal is to make surfing popular in Bangladesh. I will tell people in Hawaii that Cox's Bazar is suitable for the sport," said Zafar who also raised the organisation Bangladesh Surfing Club that has 78 members now.

After his month long trip to the Pacific Ocean island, he will return to his native village.