THE Scottish National Surfing Championships return to Thurso this weekend for what Visit Scotland have called a “weekend of excitement” to find the new Scottish surfing champions.
The three day Scottish Surfing Federation event runs from April 15 to 17 in Thurso, where surfers from across the country will compete to crown a new Scottish National Open Women’s Champion, Scottish National Open Men’s Champion, Scottish National Longboard Champion and Scottish National Masters Champion.
The sporting contest has taken place on the north coast of Scotland since 1973, and the 2022 tournament is expected to be one of the most closely contested in recent years. Craig Mclachlan returns to defend the men's title and Phoebe Strachan is aiming to win two women’s titles in a row.
The championships will also pay its respects to Iain Masson who died in February following a lengthy battle with leukaemia. The 56-year old from St Combs in Aberdeenshire was a seven time Scottish National Open Men’s Champion, and is recognised as a pioneer of the sport in Scotland.
If you can’t make it down in person, all three days can be watched for free online via the Scottish Surfing Federation’s website.
Jason Simpson, director at the Scottish Surfing Federation, said: “Scottish surfing fans will be excited to return to Thurso to see newly crowned champions.
“This is going to be one of the most closely contested championships we have had in years and we are all excited to see if Craig Mclachlan has what it takes to hold on to the title he won for the first time in 2021.
“Phoebe Strachan will also be looking to defend her title and cement her place as the country’s best female surfer, and there will also be a fantastic array of up and coming Scottish talent on display.”
Paul Bush OBE, director of events at VisitScotland said: “Scotland is the perfect stage for events and the response from the local community, competitors, and visitors from further afield to the Scottish National Surfing Championships shows how much our country has to offer. We are proud to support this national sporting event and invite everyone to join in for a weekend of excitement.”
Phoebe Strachan, reigning Scottish women’s champion, said: “Thurso is one of the best surfing destinations in northern Europe and I know I speak for all participants when I say that we are excited to put on a show and showcase Scotland as a country with amazing surfing talent.
“It’s incredible to see how quickly the sport has grown in Scotland and we’ve all been given a boost by seeing surfing take place at the Summer Olympics for the first time last year.”
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