https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcRi2dcBTOw&amp

British SUP surfing goes up a level.

Last weekend 5th-6th October 2013 the ‘National SUP Wave Championships’ took place at sunny Watergate Bay in Cornwall. Despite the small but clean swell throughout the weekend, there was plenty of sunshine and a great turnout of of both new and old faces, making it the best attended UK wave SUP event to date. It was a great social event with everyone enjoying catching up and checking out the new custom and production equipment on the market, in between heats. And one thing was very clear to see from the start…. the level of SUP surfing had definitely increased from last year! It was fantastic to see so many talented SUP surfers in every heat, different styles and exciting battles on the water! The event format meant that every competitor got a second chance and plenty of water time even if they didn’t get through on their first round, by going through to the repecharge round. So throughout the weekend there was plenty of action to watch on the water from the men, ladies and junior divisions.

There was a fantastic turn out for the ladies event and some impressive surfing in what had to be some of the hardest conditions of the weekend! The dropping tide and small swell made it very hard to find any open faces or sections. But as the semifinals led to the final it was clear to see that a tough competition had started between Marie Buchanan, Holly Bassett and Abby Barker Smith, all eager to show off their moves and become the ladies National Wave Champion. It was a very close and exciting final, with a well deserved win eventually going to Holly Bassett. In an interview with SUPboarder earlier in the year Holly had said that her goal for 2013 was to win the Watergate national championships. So a huge congratulations Holly… you did just that! But well done to all the ladies who took part this year, showing that they really can hold their own in SUP surfing in the UK.

On the Junior side of things it was another close competition in tough conditions. Once again it all came down to an exciting battle in the final, with Ollie Laddiman, Louie Harrow Guy Bridge and Fin Gamblin, all working really hard to find the best waves to show their style and personality to the judges. But it was Louis Harrow who managed to impress the judges and take the podium win. One thing for sure, is that all these guys are the future of SUP surfing in the UK. In the bigger free surfing sessions in the evenings you could tell that all the guys really wanted to do was smack the lip and do big turns! Unfortunately the competition conditions this year didn’t allow them to do that infront of the judges. The junior ladies, Holly Bassett and Bethen Richardson also showed great talent, with Holly taking her second win of the competition.

The men’s competition was always going to be a tough and exciting one, with riders in every heat providing some impressive surfing and manoeuvres to watch. Every rider has a different style, and conditions and boards which suit that style. This weekend, with the change in tide and swell size varying from 1-3ft board choice was critical. There was one rider who throughout the competition despite the changing conditions always managed to rip! Matt Barker Smith riding his custom brand Barker Paddleboards was ripping every single small swell coming across bay. Aaron Rowe, young hotshot from Jersey was also doing his thing, busting out small aires, and tail slides on his Charlie Gray 7’4 custom board, and edging his way up to the final heat by heat. New face Tom Lowe, from the competitive surfing circuit showed us great style and fluidity throughout his heats with rail to rail turns and a smooth surfing style (despite having only used his Starboard Pro three times prior to the event!) Glen Ovens from Wales, another stand out surfer throughout the competition, with a great driving cut back, got into the final despite loosing a fin in one of his heats and being forced to ride his Fanatic Pro Wave as a twinser! There were plenty of other surfers including Alex Murray, Neal Gent, Lee Norris, Andre Le Geyt, and Gareth Grant who despite surfing well, struggled to find their top form and demonstrate their talent, in the small conditions. The final made up of Matt Barker Smith, Aaron Rowe, Tom Lowe and Glen Ovens was 20 minutes of pure action and one of the most exciting ever, with every rider pushing their moves in front of the judges. Matt Barker Smith definitely stood out from the other surfers showing speed on every wave, fluid linking turns, and finishing with his trade mark hack! A well deserved win Matt.

Winners, Matt Barker Smith and Holly Bassett were also awarded the 2013 Watergate Bay Waterman and Waterwoman trophies.

Well done to all the competitors,families and other spectators who helped support the event and make it the great weekend it was. BSUPA ran another fantastic event at Watergate Bay showing the full potential of the sport to not only us SUPboarders but also those watching. It’s so good to see the overall level of SUP surfing in the UK increasing every year. What manoeuvres will we be seeing next year? Exciting times ahead!

Results :

Under 16 Girls  