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This bank holiday weekend saw the 43rd English National Surfing Championships. Spectators were treated to a smorgasbord of traditional and progressive surfing styles by surfers of all ages; from seasoned veterans to the rising stars of the under 12’s, all competing for the highest titles in English surfing.
There were double celebrations across the womens with Emilie Currie winning the women Open and the womens longboard and coming fourth in the under 18’s womens. Ellie Turner won the girls under 18’s and under 16’s and came second in the under 14’s. Quite and achievement!
Media Relations for the competition, Anya Gilbert, said: “The Bank Holiday weather may have been a little damp, but the competition this year was electric as some of the UK’s best surfers competed to be crowned the ESF champion. Lots of supporters braved the conditions, sharing brollies and huddling together as they showed their support for the competitors, but we did also see some sunshine.”
The event was managed by students from Cornwall College’s FdSc Surf Science and Technology course in conjunction with the English Surfing Federation (ESF), the competition marked the opening of the 2015 competitive surfing season and is the first stop on the UK Pro Surf Tour Circuit.
On Saturday Stanley Norman took the win in the under 12’s open final and Lily Mandeville to became the under 14’s girls champion.
“Ellie Turner stormed through some choppy surf to win the Zumba under 18 girl’s category with a wave score of 8.5, as well as the Boneyard Under 16 girls competition. Jack Unsworth dominated the Junior Longboard final to win with a final score of 13.2 and Emily Currie continued her campaign by winning her first Women’s Longboard title in two years, gaining a wave score almost double that of her fellow competitors.”
The weekend’s rain finally relented in time for Monday’s Semi’s and Finals of this year’s competition. The rain lifted and a solid 4-6ft swell was rolling in by the afternoon, providing the competitors with larger and cleaner wave faces to shred.
The Veterans category kicked off the afternoon’s Finals seeing Drustan Ward win with the title with a combined wave score of 11.83. The category that followed hosted a fierce battle between young surfers, Eno James and Liam Murray Strout for the title of Under 16 Boys Champion. Eno’s 5 waves gave him an overall heat score of 14.67, an uncomfortably close lead over Liam’s 14.27. Plymouth’s Jonty Tucker took the Masters Title in a heat against Rob Watson, Mike Young and Joel Gray. Rising star Harry DeRoth dominated the following final of the Fistral Beach Under 18 Boys category; boosting his total wave score to 16.7 by a giant 8 points with his final wave.
Adam ‘Bearman’ Griffiths successfully defended his title as Longboard Champion against the formidable talents of semi-final winner, Ben ‘Skindog’ Skinner, Sam Bleakley and Ben Haworth in 6ft surf that saw Skindog’s board snapped into two. And in the Seniors Final, Shaun Skilton came out on top after narrowly beating Joss Ash’s impressive 13.6 with a 14.9 combined wave score. Emily Currie continued her weekend of success with a decisive win in the Disco Bead’s Women’s Final over fellow surfer girls, Peony Knight, Lucy Campbell and Anne-Cecile Le Tallec.
The final heat of the day saw Jobe Harriss crowned winner of the Men’s Open, after knocking last year’s champion, Jayce Robinson out of the semi-final heat with a last minute screamer of a wave. Jobe said: “I’m feeling pretty good! I’ve come second quite a few times in this contest, so it’s good just to get a win! It was hard to position myself in the right place because the peak was so shifty but I had a few strait away off the bat and a few 6’s. I’ve got two months chill time now until the next Pro Junior starts and then it’ll be kind of non-stop from there with 8 or 9 contests on main-land Europe competing with the international guys. So yeah, hopefully I can do well!”
Congratulations to all who competed in this year’s event, and special thanks to the sponsors who supported it; Sharp’s Brewery, Cornwall College, Watergate Bay’s Extreme Academy, Fetch Surf Co, Dritek, Snugg Wetsuits, Niglon, Zumba Fitness, Checkered Photography, Fistral Beach, Extreme Academy, Disco Beads, Get Fruity, Boneyard Clothing and Red Bull.
Men’s Open Final Results
1. Jobe Harris
2. Mark Harris
3. Alan Stokes
4. Luke Dillon
Fistral Beach Under 18 Boy’s Final
1. Harry DeRoth
2. Angus Scotney
3. Issac Marshall
4. Liam Murray Strout
Under 16
1. Eno James
2. Liam Murray Strout
3. Kit Innes
4. Noah Capps
Under 14 Boys
1st Will Masterman
2nd Barnaby Cox
3rd Stanley Norman
4th Finn Collins
Under 12’s
1. Stanley Norman
2. Jake Arrowsmith
3. Sam Hearn
4. Thomas Reeves
Seniors
1. Sean Skilton
2. Joss Ash
3. Ben Skinner
4. Mike Young
Masters Final
1. Jonty Tucker
2. Rob Watson
3. Mike Young
4. Joel Gray
Veterans Final
1. Drustan Ward
2. Dave Renauld
3. Gary Clay
4. Ben Marshall
Women’s Final
1. Emily Currie
2. Peony Knight
3. Anne Cecile le Tallec
4. Lucy Campbell
Under 18 women
1. Elie Turner
2. Georgie Timson
3. Peony Knight
4. Emily Currie
Under 16 girls
1. Ellie Turner
2. Ruby Breadon
3. Lily Madeville
4. Mischa Maguire
5. Georgie Buckley
Under 14 womens
1. Lily Mandeville
2. Ellie Turner
3. Bonita Whitelock
4. Tegan Blackford
Men’s Longboard Final
1. Adam Griffiths
2. Ben Haworth
3. Sam Bleakley
4. Ben Skinner
Junior Longboard
1. Jack Unsworth
2. Charlie Rio
3. Jordan Zervas
4. Joe Hornbuckle
5. David Currie
Womens longboard
1. Emily Currie
2. Jennifer Pendlebury
3. Jenny Bryant
4. Charlotte Bayliss