Back in the day there was only one way to get to international comps and that was hard graft on building sites, in pubs, in surf shops or any way to scrap and save the pennies to get the entry fee and travel costs. Then you were off to live on friends floors, or in cheap cars or even in random bushes on the North Shore - looking at you Carwyn Williams - or off the kind grace of anyone who could help you.
Then as the surf industry boomed came the heady days of sponsorship from surf, car, and drinks companies. Cars, flights, hotels, even food was paid for alongside competition entry fees and governing body affiliations. Life was sweet for a few top surfers, some rumoured to be earn +£50k salaries in the process and that was +15 years ago.
Roll into 2018 and budgets are tight. A chosen few get a few bucks from sponsors, but surfers get no funding from the UK sports agencies. They'd rather spend millions on stupid non accessible sports, like curling, skeleton bob and bobsleigh.
There's a couple of surfers in the UK that get paid to surf. Everyone else works to pay the bills. From Skindog to Tom Butler, Reubyn Ash to Luke Dillon. As for the groms, well apart from one I can think of, it's the bank of mum and dad... That was until these enterprising surfers decided to crowd fund their way to the European comps.
You should read this, then throw in a few quid. It’ll be well spent. These kids are getting creative and are hungry. Any surfer with ambition has to get out of the UK and pit themselves against the best European surfers and waves.
19 year old Noah Biersack has started a GoFundme page to help get him to the World Surf League Qualifying Events in 2018 with a prize draw for a brand new custom Footwork Surfboard, O'Neill 4:3 Hyperfreak wetsuit and an Olympus TG-Tracker Action Camera.
www.gofundme.com/noahtowslqsevents
17 year old George Carpenter achieved 2nd place at the U18s English Nationals in 2017 and was selected for the under 18s England team. This year he wants to compete on the European Junior Tour and if selected, the World Junior Championships later on in 2018.
"I am trying to raise funds to be able to enter competitions in the WSL European Pro Junior Tour being held in France in May 2018. Costs include: England training camps in the UK, entry fees to the events, travel and accommodation.”
He’s raised £1690 of £2000 which is amazing! Drop him some dollar here >
www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/george-carpenter-surfer?utm_id=92&utm_term=AnY7pYDK6
15 year old twins Huck and Woody New have raised £570 of £3,000 so far on pledgesports Their plans are are to compete in the World Surf League (WSL) European Pro Junior events for the experience and a chance to compete with the continent’s best young surfers.
Woody qualified for the Ripcurl European Grom Search events in Hossegor, France where he finished in the top 10 in Europe. Huck travelled all the way to Thurso to compete in the UK Pro Tour junior event where he got to the semi finals in the U18s.
You can help them here www.pledgesports.org/projects/twins-pro-junior-surfing-championships/
