President's Trophy Boat Race

The President's Boat Race is held annually at the Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam district. The first race was held here on August 31, 2011. The then President Smt Pratibha Patil was present to watch the event. That's how the tournament got its name.

The race is now a part of Kerala Tourism's Champions Boat League (CBL).

The 1200-metre race track extends from the Thevalli bridge across Ashtamudi Lake to the boat jetty near the KSRTC bus station. The President's Boat Race used to offer the second biggest cash prize after the Nehru Trophy. Now the winnings are based on performance in the League.

The inaugural race was a grand success as 16 snake boats participated in it. Ganeshan Chundan rowed by Kollam St. Francis Boat Club won the cup in the debut event. Races for other snake boat categories like Veppu, Iruttukuthi and Thekkanvadi were also held.

CBL Boat Races

Cheruvathoor Boat Race

The Champions Boat League at Cheruvathoor in Kasaragod district is one of the most prominent boat races in North Malabar. Hosted on the scenic Tejaswini River at Kottappuram, the event showcases thrilling competitions between traditional boats such as Chundan Vallam, Churulan, and Irutukuthi. Adding to the festive spirit, a vibrant water procession is also organized as part of the celebrations.

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Kayamkulam Boat Race

The Kayamkulam Boat Race is held on the Kayamkulam Lake in Alappuzha district. Launched in 2010, it is one of the most recent snake boat racing events in the state.Though the event is new, Kayamkulam is significant in the history of snake boats. The origins of Kerala's signature snake boats traces back to the feud between the princely states of Chempakassery and Kayamkulam. It is said that these boats were crafted to conduct warfare on the backwaters.The Kayamkulam Lake is Kerala's third largest lake. The race track, located between Karthikapally church and Panmana, is 1,200 metres long and 70 metres wide. The track is set on the shallow portion of the lake and special pavilions have been constructed in the middle of the waters to mark the starting and finishing points.The Kayamkulam Boat Race falls in the last leg of Kerala Tourism's Champions Boat League (CBL).

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Karuvatta Boat Race

The Karuvatta boat race or the Brothers Trophy Boat Race is held every year during the Onam season at the Karuvatta village in Alappuzha district. A variety of spectacular cultural activities are organised during the race. The snake boat race is currently part of Kerala Tourism's Champions Boat League (CBL).The event was founded by the Karuvatta Brothers Arts & Sports Club in 1966. The race is held on the Karuvatta leading water channel and it was initially known as the Karuvatta Leading Channel Boat Race. The bunds on either side of the channel are used as galleries during the event.The race track is 1200 metres long and it stretches from Thaivypinkadavu to St. Joseph's Church. There is a permanent pavilion at the church premises. The Brothers Trophy Boat Race was initially conducted for smaller snake boats like Churulan, Odi and Veppu vallams. Nowadays, all major snake boats vie for this trophy. Vibrant festivities including a colourful procession are held during the event.

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Marine Drive Boat Race

The Marine Drive Boat Race, also known as the Indira Gandhi Boat Race, was a forgotten snake boat contest in Kerala. The inaugural race was held in 1989 and it was named after Late Indira Gandhi, India's former prime minister. The event ran regularly for three years, but it slowly went into oblivion due to financial and organisational issues.The race was revived by Kerala Tourism after being added onto the Champions Boat League (CBL) roster in 2019. Today, it's a gala event with day-long cultural activities that attracts foreign as well as domestic tourists.The race is held at the Marine Drive area in Kochi. The track on the Kochi Lake, which is a stretch of the Vembanad Lake, extends from the Goshree bridge to the Marine Drive boat jetty. It is one of the most difficult snake boat races in Kerala, as it is held on a shallow track that has little or no undercurrents. So, victory depends on the strength and stamina of the paddlers. Apart from the energetic display of sportsmanship by the competitors, visitors are also treated to various traditional and modern cultural events.

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