Scottish National Surfing Championships return to Thurso as local surfers defend their titles
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Scotland’s premier surfing tournament, the Scottish National Surfing Championships, returns to Thurso this week.
The three-day Scottish Surfing Federation event runs from Friday to Sunday, April 15 to 17, and takes place at its usual Caithness home where surfers from across the country will compete off the north coast.
Up for grabs are the titles of Scottish National Open Men’s Champion, Scottish National Open Women’s Champion, Scottish National Longboard Champion and Scottish National Masters Champion.
The Scottish National Surfing Championships 2022 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 is a seven times Scottish National Open Men’s Champion and is recognised as a pioneer of the sport in Scotland.
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 – a Thurso High School pupil who became the youngest person to take the senior honours at last year's tournament – returns to defend the men's title and Phoebe Strachan, another local from North Shore Surf Club, is aiming to win two women’s titles in a row.
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.”
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.”
The Scottish National Surfing Championships is supported by the Highland Council, the Greencoat Stroupster Community Fund administered by Foundation Scotland, Dounreay and the Pentland Hotel. The Scottish National Surfing Championships is also supported by EventScotland’s National Events Programme.
Paul Bush, 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.”
All three days can be watched for free, online via www.thessf.scot
