Carve Magazine Issue 232

For my slider

Jun 19, 2026

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I was thinking recently about what keeps us connected to surfing. It’s not always the waves. It’s the people, the stories, the places and the friendships that grow around this strange obsession we all share.

The latest Carve magazine celebrates the expansive surfing life. The people, the stories, the places and the friendships that grow around this strange obsession of surfing that we all share.

In this issue, we meet some of Britain’s next-generation groms, take a look inside a Red Bull dream camp in the Mentawais, and join John Callahan on a lifetime of surf exploration. There are board stories from Alex Williams and Alan Stokes, a spotlight on Maddie Meddings, and a catch-up with Jack Johnson at his North Shore home. Plus, Roger Sharp talks us through his classic Andy Irons image, alongside plenty more tales, characters and inspiration from across the surfing world.

So sign up for your copy, then take your time, immerse yourself in the photos, and share it with your friends.

Enjoy the issue.

Joel Gray, Editor at Large

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Ireland Regional Report

Odin Villarreal — Photo: Kevin Doyle

Regional Report — Ireland

Ireland: A Golden Era

A Irish surfing has had a strong few months. From European titles to JQS results in Casablanca, from heavy slab charging in Clare to a new generation of grom talent coming through Lahinch, Bundoran and Tramore, the depth of what's happening across Ireland right now is hard to ignore. Ollie O'Flaherty has been in the thick of it, and here's his latest dispatch on a scene that's never looked stronger.

Irish surfing has hit new heights. Right around the country there are surfers ripping in two-foot beachbreaks, making European finals and pulling into 20-foot kegs.

From Conor Maguire and Gearóid McDaid to Odin Villarreal, Josh Karbus and Shay O'Sullivan, surfing on our shores is well and truly in a golden era.

What's equally exciting is the rise in female surfing. Isabella O'Reilly's second place at the Under-14 European Championships was one of the standout results of the year, while Hazel Rafferty continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in heavy waves at just 14 years old. Across every discipline, from high-performance shortboarding to longboarding and big-wave surfing, the next generation is coming through stronger than ever.

What's exciting is that it's not just happening in heavy water. The competitive side of Irish surfing has never been stronger either. Gearóid is now a European Champion, while Josh recently finished second at the Pro Junior in Casablanca. The standard across every age group seems to be rising year after year.

I checked in around the country to see what's been happening.

North West

Tom Murphy — Photo: Pat O'Sullivan

One of the standout performers on the Irish junior scene over the last few years has been Tom Murphy. Based in Bundoran, Tom continues to push his surfing to new levels both in and out of competition.

"It's been the best winter up here since I've been a surfer. Our house pretty much became a hostel for the lads from around the country who came up to score waves.

Rory and I have been getting comfortable out at some of the main slabs around Bundoran and Mullaghmore, while also making the odd trip down to Clare to have a go at the Cliffs. The big-wave guys have all been really supportive and willing to help us along.

When it hasn't been barrelling, we've been training hard and running mock heats with the crew. The amount of groms in the water and the standard of surfing is continuing to rise, which is great to see.

We've started to form a little group of surfers from up here and around the country to compete in the WSL Pro Juniors. Having a crew around you definitely helps push everyone forward.

A huge highlight from the winter was Isabella finishing second in the Under-14 European Championships. That was an incredible result and shows the level of talent coming through in Irish surfing right now.

Looking ahead, the Euro Juniors are going to be held in Bundoran this September, which is really exciting. It's a massive opportunity for Irish surfers and for everyone involved in the local surf community."

With surfers like Tom leading the charge and major events arriving on Irish shores, the future is looking bright in the North West.

West Coast

Conor Moroney — Photo: George Karbus

Here in Lahinch and Co Clare, we had a mega second half of the season.

For me, the standout performances at Aileens came from Callum Curtin, Conor Moroney and Odin Villarreal. The lads stepped up when it mattered and put in some serious performances. A mention has to go to Joshy too, who has quietly been honing his backside tube-riding skills on the cleaner, more perfect days.

At the other end of the scale, the same familiar faces have continued to push the level at Riley's. Josh, Conor and Odin have all gone to another level and are now setting the benchmark out there.

Hazel Rafferty

One of the coolest developments has been the rise of female surfing along the west coast. Sadie Shaloo, Ruby Fanning, Hazel Rafferty, Saibh McCullough and Natalie Karbus have all been absolutely charging and taking on some heavy slabs.

The standout for me has been Hazel Rafferty. At just 14 years old, her approach to left-hand slabs has been incredible. Having coached her since the beginning, she's always been willing to commit in the most critical sections. She's helping pave the way for the next generation and it's inspiring to watch.

"At just 14 years old, her approach to left-hand slabs has been incredible."

On the contest front, the Junior Tour arrived in Lahinch and produced some brilliant surfing throughout the divisions.

U14 Boys

1. Tola Rice

2. Django McPhail

3. Matthew McSharry

4. Jake Callaghan

U16 Boys

1. Dylan Brangwyn

2. Albin Parle Fahrlin

3. Cathal Bennett

4. Xavier O'Rourke

U16 Girls

1. Isabella O'Reilly

2. Hazel Rafferty

3. Saibh McCullough

4. Elodie Blount

U18 Boys

1. Rory Murphy

2. Shay O'Sullivan

3. Páraic McSharry

4. Alfie Corcoran

Boys Longboard

1. David Fanning

2. Hugh Downey

3. Joshua Roberts

4. Gavin Downey

Josh Karbus — Photo: Pat O'Sullivan

A final massive shout-out has to go to Josh Karbus for his runner-up finish at the JQS Junior Pro Casablanca.

At just 16 years old, competing with and beating some of the best junior surfers in Europe is a serious achievement. Josh's combination of style and technical ability saw him win his way through every heat to reach the final, eventually finishing as runner-up.

Also flying the flag at the JQS Junior Pro Casablanca was Maria Butler, competing for West Coast Surf Club.

TBay News

Shay O'Sullivan — Photo: Kevin Doyle

The TBay Performance Squad recently wrapped up its annual competition series. Each surfer's best four results from six events counted towards the overall standings.

Girls Performance Squad

1. Ruby Fanning

2. Ella Dooly

3. Giorgi Herterich

4. Ella Moore

Boys Performance Squad

1. Shay O'Sullivan

2. Alfie Corcoran

3. David Fanning

4. Keelan Maloney

A huge congratulations to Ruby Fanning and Shay O'Sullivan, who have now claimed the overall title for the third consecutive year.

The Joe Roddy Trophy for exceptional effort and dedication went to Ella Dooly, a brilliant example of how consistency and hard work pay off over time.

A big shout-out as well to Shay O'Sullivan and Alfie Corcoran, who recently competed at the JQS Casablanca. Both surfers put in strong performances and will be following the tour around Europe this season, so keep an eye on their progress.

TBay can't be mentioned without talking about its longboarders. Tom Breen, Wes Hannigan, David Fanning, John Twomey and Ella Dooly have all been surfing incredibly well.

Inspired by Tom's European final appearance last year and another runner-up finish this season, the standard continues to rise. Ella continues to fly the flag for female longboarding and has become one of the standout performers coming out of Tramore.

TBay is producing some of Ireland's best longboarders and remains the backbone of the Irish Team longboard team setup.

Euro Road Trips: Portugal

In Conversation with Lewis Arnold

As part of Carve Collective, we are catching up with surfers, shapers, photographers and all round local legends across the UK and Ireland.

Next up in the series is Lewis Arnold, well known around the North East England surf scene as a photographer, filmmaker, and the driving force behind some of the more ambitious independent surf media projects to come out of the UK in recent years.

Give us the basics - who are you, where are you based, and what’s your lane?

I’m Lewis Arnold, independent surf photographer and filmmaker from Tynemouth, my house is in Thurso and I split my time between the two. I love the peace up in Scotland but, of course, Caithness has the closest world-class Atlantic waves to the North East… that 7-8 hour drive is a well-trodden path for NE crews.

I’m the director of surf doc “The Big Sea” and that’s my biggest work in surfing so far, but I’m also editor of surf photobook GLASS. Volume 2 is coming out soon - I’ve been working alongside surf writer Ron de Leeuw. Like most indie projects, it’s been a mission, but a rewarding team effort as well and we can’t wait for the release in September. I think it’s super strong and something quite different.

I’m also director of the North Sea Surf Film Festival and have some new films close to release

myself. One is a pretty challenging doc on surf travel with big-wave legend, surf scientist and

environmental activist Dr Tony Butt, shot across Northern Spain. The other is “North Country”

which explores surfing lives and landscapes from the Hebrides to Yorkshire. It’s a full-on

collaboration between myself, Mal Anderson, Elle and Rory Sutherland, Rhys Smith, Sandy Kerr,

Mark Boyde and Phoebe Strachan. Stoked on this project too but, again, a bit of a mission!

What first drew you to surfing, was it camera first and surfing second?

I changed schools at 11 and fell in with a crew of surfers in Tynemouth and that was that. I was hooked on surfing but I never really got good enough or was that into the comp scene. However, I was super into the imagery, fashion and the creativity around surfing. I would devour any surf mags or films and would pore over the photography… I still do, you should see my collection! Surf mags are a big deal to me. Mags I picked up on my travels, the old 80s zines that morphed into Carve in the 90s were the inspiration for me to get into photography, so I was stoked to be nominated in the UK Surfer Awards this year.

Photography has given me lot, it’s been my vocation for 30 years or so now. I studied then trained professionally in newspapers with surf photography always important as my personal work. In 2017, I left the day job to do an MA in Photography Creative Practice and to fully focus on work around surfing.

Personally, I appreciate most elements of surf photography but I’m really into exploring how surf

imagery (and words) can be used to talk about wider themes and to reach audiences outside of

surfing.

What does a normal week look like for you right now?

One of the amazing things about photography is the variety in ideas, meaning, subject, technique,

media, equipment…every shoot is different and that variety and has kept me creatively stimulated

for a long time. Working in media you get different assignments every day - you could be

photographing literally anything and have to think on your feet. I try to apply that ethic to surf

photography and aim to keep learning and hopefully to progress. It’s pretty all-consuming. I think

about ideas all the time, and there’s a lot of time in front of the Mac! I’m not a techie ‘gear geek’,

but still my work is varied and every week is different, which works right for me.

What does involvement in your local surf scene look like for you these days?

A lot of goose chasing! We have real good waves but swells are usually few and far between. I’ve

always shot with talented local surfers who are friends and are around to surf when the waves here

turn on, and it’s still the same today.

That’s meant working a lot with Gabe and Jesse Davies, Louis Thomas-Hudson and Sandy Kerr,

and that crew is still super active now. Sandy has an unreal surf part in The Big Sea and that came

about from our long collaboration chasing waves all over the North Sea and Atlantic.

After doing quite a few film festivals screening The Big Sea, I picked up some interesting ideas and

thought it might work setting up a festival back home. So I approached Tom Bing and Sal MGee to

team up and start the North Sea Surf Film Festival. The inaugural festival was hard work, but I

learned a lot. NSSFF sold out, broke even and, most importantly, brought the North Sea surf

community together, whilst creating a platform for emerging creatives in surfing (which was the

main hope all along - big thanks to all who supported this year!)

Of course, you have to keep looking forward. Jesse’s kids Bethan and Blake are surfing amazing,

and I’m super keen to shoot more with them. It’s epic to see another new generation of talented

surfers coming up.

There’s also been some unreal surfers ‘blow in’ to the North East over the years. A stand out is

Aussie shredder Rhys Smith, aka Waaxhead, who massively pushes surfing standards here. He’s

put roots down in Tynemouth with his wife Katie and they’re now expecting their first child.

How does the community around you influence the kind of stories you want to tell, both in and out of
the water?

Probably just like other surf spots, the crews here have bonded over the years chasing waves

together, and everyone influences each other.

I was friend’s with Louis’ sadly missed dad Stephen from Tynemouth Surfco, so I’ve shot with Louis

since he was a grom. I’ve watched his surfing develop and been blown by how he’s chasing big

heavy waves. Up until now, tow-in surfing has kinda passed me by but, like I say, you have to keep

looking forward. For sure, the jets-ski scene has opened up some truly incredible waves, and lately

I’ve probably been motivated by the Mully crew, along with Louis’ progression. This influenced me

to explore that element of surfing as a photographer last winter at a few spots that I’ve seen where

a ski would come in handy.

True enough, I sometimes struggle with the technical gear side of photography, but I’ve just got a

new camera and housing set-up and, so far, I’m stoked on the images I’ve shot with it.

For me, its a bit daunting learning to handle a ski, but the plan is to keep pushing both my

photography in and around surfing.

What or who has been inspiring you lately?

Kinda following up on ‘influences’, North East surf pioneer Nigel Veitch’s surfing mantra was “go on

the biggest best waves you can” and that emphasis on progression was a huge influence on

everybody in that early crew, Jesse and Gabe especially.

Surfing has changed a lot, and the truth is, it needed to. Overt sexism, no understanding about

mental health and zero respect to the environment were the norm, but thankfully society is

changing and surfing is too. More people surfing, in theory, means more jobs in surfing, more

people becoming more connected to the environment and more “blue health” benefits open to

everyone. Maybe though, the kind of aspiration of progressing to surfing well in world-class waves

that Veitch engendered has been lost a little to some surfers coming through?

That’s why I’m inspired by surfers who work to make surfing better for everyone, and was stoked to

see Carve make proud geordie surfer Joel Gray editor after Steve England’s epic work at the helm.

A super-talented surfer himself, your new Carve ed has shown a lifelong dedication to surfing,

becoming an inspiring coach to so many - and through that work, he’s pushing the progression of

surfing as a sport, lifestyle, recreation, industry, and now, as a culture.

Lewis clearly has a lot on his plate right now, with new films close to release and GLASS Vol. 2 landing in September. It's a good moment to be following his work. As always with these catch-ups, the conversation points toward the wider community around it, and Lewis name-drops some serious talent along the way. If you think we should be sitting down with someone from your local scene, let us know. Who's next?

Find more of Lewis's work at lewisarnold.photo

South West Regional Report

Regional Report — South West England

South West England

The South West has always been the engine room of British surfing — a coastline that produces talent, community, and some decent conditions when the wind decides to play ball. Matthew Hayes, founder and host of The Insiders Podcast, has been at the centre of that scene for years, documenting the people and moments that make it tick. Here's his first dispatch for Carve.

If you needed any proof that the South West is producing talent at a rate of knots, the last few months have certainly made the case pretty obvious. Contests won, deals signed, charitable feats gathering more and more traction along with community events, it's been a busy few months down here, and it feels like we're only getting started.

Lukas Skinner Re-signs to Rip Curl

Lukas Skinner — Photo: Red Bull

One of the world's best talents puts pen to paper with one of the biggest surf companies on the planet. Lukas Skinner, who's been absolutely tearing it up on every competitive stage he's stepped onto this year, along with dropping mind-blowing free surf clips and working on some film parts to come, has officially put pen to paper with Rip Curl. It's a signing that makes perfect sense: the brand that labels them The Ultimate Surf Company, backing one of the most exciting prospects not to come out of the South West, but anywhere on the globe. Congratulations to Rip Curl & Lukas.

Lukas Skinner: WSL Pro Junior Morocco

Lukas Skinner — Photo: WSL

If you missed it, go and find the clip. In the final of the WSL Pro Junior in Morocco, Lukas Skinner produced a wave that stopped people mid-scroll, a legitimate 10-point ride in the final that sealed the win and sent a very clear message to every other junior on tour. A perfect ten. In a final. Abroad. The guy is something else. This is the kind of result that grabs the surfing world's attention and puts down a marker for what is to come, and it won't be the last time we see the name L.Skinner next to a 10-point ride, that's for sure.

"A perfect ten. In a final. Abroad."

Billabong Back Fynn Gillespie

Fynn Gillespie — Photo: Osker Carmichael

Hot on the heels of Lukas's news, Fynn Gillespie has joined the Billabong team. Given the surfing Fynn has showcased in the last year or more, hearing a giant brand like Billabong have put a sticker on the nose of his board was far from surprising. Fynn is a trailblazing signing for Billabong as their only UK rider on the 'Bong team. The day after signing, Fynn repaid the faith instantly when he won the UK Nationals, which we have more on too.

National Champions: Fynn Gillespie & Belle Betteridge

Photo: Surfing England

The nationals delivered in style this year, and the South West had its fingerprints all over the podium. Fynn Gillespie took the men's title in strong fashion, continuing a run of form that's made him one of the most talked-about names on the circuit. Belle Betteridge (Yes from North Devon) meanwhile did what she does, surfed with POWER, composure and no shortage of flair, to claim the women's crown. Two national champions crowned in cooking waves at Fistral Beach. Perfect conditions to crown the new national champions and leave no questions on what ifs.

Surfing England Pro Junior: Skinner and Hicks Lead the Way

The Surfing England Pro Junior Under 21s event took place in boiling hot weather at Watergate Bay and you guessed… Lukas Skinner once again standing at the top of the podium. On the women's side, Georgie-May Hicks delivered a performance that was every bit as impressive. Controlled, powerful, and exactly what you'd expect from someone who belongs at the sharp end of a draw. The added bonus? Runners-up from both draws pocketed Boardmasters wildcards, meaning the ramifications of the result will be felt well into the summer. Those two runners up… Cornwall's own, Fynn Gillespie and Willow Smith.

Rip Curl GromSearch

Photo: @robtibbles

The weekend before the Surfing England Pro Junior Under 21s was held, we welcomed another competition to North Fistral Beach, this time it was the Rip Curl GromSearch who rolled into the South West and delivered everything you'd want from a grassroots event done properly. The standard was high, the energy was higher, and the future of surfing in this region showed up ready to compete. Rip Curl's GromSearch has always had a knack for creating moments, and this one was no different. Events like this are the lifeblood of the next generation, and I applaud Rip Curl and all else involved in pushing our sport forward.

U16 Girls: 1st Coco Arthur · 2nd Lila Skinner · 3rd Callie Cruickshank · 4th Josie Hawke

U16 Boys: 1st Aleks Blampied · 2nd Jensen Martin · 3rd Jack Strutt · 4th Cairo Garcia Plartus

U14 Girls: 1st Betsie Reay · 2nd Bella Llewellyn · 3rd Ellie Hickie · 4th Summer Marie Moore

U14 Boys: 1st Cassius Woudberg · 2nd Albie Gould · 3rd Teijo Boletta · 4th Ollie Philips

U12 Girls: 1st Katarina Roth Gale · 2nd Kaleia Peres · 3rd Maisie Le Moignon · 4th Sophie Busby

U12 Boys: 1st Monty Cole · 2nd Xavier Le Moignon · 3rd Casper Kershaw · 4th Rogan Sharp

Every single one of those names is worth remembering. The depth across every age group was something to behold — this region's pipeline is very much open.

Jensen Martin: Surfing the Swiss Alps with Hurley x WSO

Jensen Martin, Alaïa Bay — Photo: Hurley

Jensen Martin — Photo: Hurley

Speaking of Jensen, while the GromSearch result was impressive enough on its own, the bigger story came off the back of it. Hurley and Wetsuit Outlet sent the young South West talent on a trip to Alaïa Bay in the Swiss Alps, a wavepool in continental Europe, tucked away at the foot of the Alps, a backdrop that makes every other surf trip look a bit ordinary. Not bad for someone still in the U16 category. Jensen made a mark with Hurley from his surfing performances in the last 2 years and on his first "brand" trip, the performance backed up why he has support of one of surfing's biggest brands. Combining major manoeuvres with airs, barrels and smiles. A once-in-a-lifetime trip but we are sure after his performance, more Hurley trips will be in the diary for Jensen.

Surf Girl Launch Party

Photo: Osker Carmichael

On the 6th of May, Surf Girl threw a launch party that was exactly what it needed to be, and then some. Surfing is all about community and events like this are needed more than ever. Surf Girl delivered.

An evening built around the screening of Undercurrents, live panels with some genuine industry voices, a raffle, first access to the new magazine, goodie bags and boutique finds. More than anything though, it was a proper celebration of a community and a publication that's been championing women in surfing long before it was fashionable to do so. The energy in the room said it all. Big things ahead.

Isaac Friend: 365 Days in the Water for Children in Need

Isaac Friend — Photo: BBC

Sometimes a story comes along that puts contest results in perspective. Isaac Friend set himself a mission at the start of 2026: surf every single day of the year, create a daily edit documenting the journey, and raise money for BBC Children in Need in the process. He's now past the halfway mark.

Rain, flat spells, travel, life, none of it has stopped him. The large majority of his sessions have been in the ocean around Cornwall, but he's taken it to surf camps and wave pools too. On the days when the ocean genuinely won't play ball, he's pulled out the surf skate. The boy will not be stopped.

Follow the journey on Instagram and TikTok at @isaacfriendsurfer, and if you can spare anything, his GoFundMe is live now: gofundme.com/f/surfing-for-children-in-need. Every bit counts.

The waves have been firing, the sun has been out, and Cornwall has been doing what Cornwall does best when everything aligns and that is delivering. The lineups have been pumping, the weather has been scorching, and the mood in the water has matched it. After a season already packed with results, titles and trips worth talking about, there's a real buzz about what the rest of the summer holds. More swell, more events, more of the South West doing its thing. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Boardmasters OPEN Secures QS 4,000 Upgrade

Boardmasters OPEN will stage one of Europe's premier World Surf League Qualifying Series competitions this summer.

After its annual Fistral Beach event was upgraded from QS 2,000 to QS 4,000 status for 2026.

In partnership with YETI, the upgraded QS 4,000 status reinforces a shared commitment to supporting elite performance, progression, and the future of surfing and positions the event among the top three Qualifying Series competitions in Europe. A critical platform for surfers targeting the Challenger Series and the elite Championship Tour, the enhanced ranking will attract a significantly stronger international field, creating an unprecedented opportunity for British surfers to compete for world ranking points on home soil.

For those less familiar with how the WSL structures its events: the Qualifying Series runs on a points-value tier system, and doubling from 2,000 to 4,000 is a substantial jump. More points on offer means a stronger international field makes the trip, which raises the standard of every heat and makes a deep run count toward the season in a way it simply couldn't at the previous rating.

Boardmasters spokesperson says: "Surfing is where Boardmasters started and it has always, and will always be part of our DNA. It’s super exciting to see the competitions upgraded to a QS 4,000’s making it one of the top events in Europe and a critical opportunity for British surfers to score significant points on the qualifying series tour, helping them realise their ultimate goal of competing on the champions tour and building towards the Olympics in LA.”

The upgrade delivers on a long-term ambition to position Fistral Beach, Newquay, already one of Europe's most recognised surf breaks, as a destination for elite international competition. The QS 4,000 rating increases the ranking points available to competing surfers, raising the stakes for the international field and strengthening the event's standing within the WSL's global competition calendar.

Fistral has earned this kind of recognition before. Kelly Slater stood on that beach in 1986 for the World Amateur Championships, and through the late eighties and nineties the ASP Championship Tour came to Newquay regularly, bringing the world's best surfers to Cornwall. That era faded, the CT moved on, and for a long time the competitive weight of the event didn't match the reputation of the wave. The 4,000 upgrade starts to close that gap.

WSL Europe Tour Manager, Rob Gunning shares, “The WSL and our athletes are very excited to see the Boardmasters OPEN upgrade to a QS 4,000 this year plus we will be once again crowning our European Longboard Title winners over the five days of competition at the iconic Fistral beach. The added QS ranking points and importance on our European Qualifying Series will be impactful with a stronger field of athletes making the trip to Newquay to battle it out for this year’s trophy. The Boardmasters events team have put in a huge effort along with event sponsors and partners to make this upgrade a reality in 2026 and we are looking forward to some splendid competition during the entire event window.”

Boardies_Saturday_swing_Adam-Lievesley-2-2400x1600

The event will also deepen its ties to the domestic pipeline. Through the Boardmasters Foundation, the festival continues its partnership with Surfing England and will support the Surfing England Junior Surf Series which is the primary national competition structure for young surfers in the UK. The standalone Boardmasters Junior Surf Competition will not take place in 2026. In its place, Boardmasters is directing its support toward longer-term, wider-reaching initiatives which includes national junior development pathways, increased elite competition opportunities and education and progression support for top-level junior talent, delivered in partnership with GB Surfing and the Surfing England Junior Surf Series.

Wildcard entries for the QS 4,000 have been awarded to surfers from Surfing England's Pro Junior competition held at Watergate Bay on 26th May, including winners Lukas Skinner and Georgie May-Hicks, and runners-up Willow Smith and Fynn Gillespie, creating a direct competitive link between grassroots development and elite international surfing. In addition, Boardmasters OPEN will introduce a number of selective wildcard entries into the QS 4,000 field, providing emerging British talent with the opportunity to compete directly against an elite international draw on home soil. The wildcards form part of a longer-term commitment to building a credible competitive pathway for UK surfers, with the 2028 LA Olympics providing a clear horizon for athlete development and national ambition.

Two-time defending champion Lukas Skinner is going for three.

"I'm super looking forward to Boardmasters this year, being upgraded to a QS 4,000 is massive! I feel super confident and strong so I'm going to try my absolute best to go 3 in a row, but the main thing is enjoying it. It's my favourite week of the year and I have family and friends around with the beach full and the best crowd I've ever surfed in front of. Let's go!"

He expanded on what the points jump means day to day.

"Boardies is such a special event for me having won it two times already but also just being at home with all my friends and family and that support makes me feel like this is my strongest event on the QS. For it to now be recognised as a big event and be blown up to a 4,000 just allows so much more points. If you get a good result here it sets you up really well. As the defending champ I actually think it takes the pressure off me in a way. I am obviously aiming to win again but honestly I just love the event, the crowd and everything about it."

Meanwhile, Alys Barton, first ever British surfer to qualify for the WSL Challenger Series says, "Boardmasters is one of my favourite comps on the calendar. I love the atmosphere and the energy of the event, and it is always great to compete in front of a home crowd. The upgrade of the event to a QS 4,000 means we British surfers will have the opportunity to compete against the best in Europe and hopefully score big season points on a wave we know well."

Barton arrives at Fistral straight from the US Open, making for a packed run of competition.

"It's right after the US Open so it's gonna be a jam-packed couple of weeks of competition. I can't wait to get back to competing after these past two months off. Upgrading Boardmasters to a 4,000 is gonna be amazing, we're gonna have way more competitors and I think it's gonna be such an awesome competition. I cannot wait to showcase my surfing and I would love to win the event. That's my goal for this year at Boardmasters."

Willow Smith, runner-up at the Pro Junior and one of four Cornish surfers heading into the field on a wildcard, knows this event and this beach as well as anyone.

"It's my favourite event of the year at my local. I always surf and train there and I'm so happy to have received a wildcard. The upgrade feels to me like Boardmasters is getting the recognition that it deserves."

Fynn Gillespie also earned his spot at Watergate Bay.

"The Pro Junior comp had great waves and good weather so the day was pretty special and to make it to final and come second and win a wildcard to Boardmasters made it even more so. I love Boardmasters and competing at my home break is always sick. Making the event 4,000 shows how good the event has become and I can't wait for it to come around."

Alongside the competition, GB Surfing will deliver a series of masterclasses and workshops for selected surfers from its national Development Squad. The programme will offer coaching, athlete development and an insight into the realities of pursuing surfing at an international level. Participants will have access to the competition site, placing them alongside some of the world's leading surfers and creating direct opportunities for observation, learning and informal engagement with the professional game. The initiative is designed to grow year on year as a high-value addition to the event's wider development offering.

Vicky Gosling, Chair of GB Surfing, said: "The upgrade of Boardmasters to a QS 4,000 event is a significant milestone for British surfing. It gives our athletes the opportunity to compete against Europe's best and earn valuable ranking points on home waves, while reflecting the continued growth and progress of the sport in the UK. Our LA 2028 Olympic hopefuls will be competing, and we are seeing them develop with real confidence and consistency as they progress along the Olympic pathway. We believe they have the talent and potential to achieve outstanding results on the Olympic stage in the years ahead, while inspiring the next generation of British surfers to pursue their own Olympic ambitions."

Longboard divisions will continue as LQS 1,000 competitions in 2026. The Boardmasters OPEN 2026 competition schedule and athlete will be announced in due course.

The event will take place at Fistral Beach, Newquay, from 5-9 August 2026.

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