The Rio Adventure – Scottish Junior Surf Team in Brazil
We are looking forward to welcoming the boys home from Brazil this week after what looks to have been an incredible trip.
The Scottish junior surf team travelled to Brazil to compete at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships, gaining valuable experience against some of the best young surfers in the world.
This year Scotland took one of the youngest teams we have ever sent to a world championship. For many of the surfers it was their first experience competing on such a large international stage.
Strong Performances from the Scottish Team
The best performance by a Scottish surfer came from 17-year-old Craig from Thurso, who reached the third round of the competition. Craig is the current Scottish senior champion, and reaching the third round at this level of world surfing is an impressive achievement.
There was also success in the girls’ division. Talented Broch surfer Lola Mitchell, aged just 15, reached repechage round two in the Under 18 girls category.
Local Surfers Ansel and Charlie
Our local surfers Ansel and Charlie also put in strong performances during the early rounds. Both surfers were unlucky not to progress further.
Each of them surfed well and were only one good wave away from advancing. For example, Ansel scored 5.8, while the qualification score was 6.63.
Both surfers are also two years younger than others in their age groups, which makes their performances even more impressive. Competing against surfers from some of the strongest surfing nations in the world will undoubtedly help their development
Surfing in Brazil
We managed to catch up briefly with 14-year-old Ansel by phone during the trip.
His first comment was simple – “Surfing in board shorts is the best.”
He also said he had a brilliant time in Brazil and enjoyed escaping the Scottish winter.
According to Ansel, the competitions were both mentally and physically demanding. He mentioned that there are many different strategies involved in competitive surfing and that every heat requires careful decision making.
He also spoke about how different Brazil felt compared to home.
“Brazil is a very different country to Scotland but it’s beautiful. There are people playing football everywhere which is amazing to watch.”
An Unforgettable Experience
Trips like this are hugely important for developing young surfers. Competing internationally gives them experience, confidence, and exposure to a much higher level of surfing.
We are incredibly proud of Ansel and Charlie for representing their community and the Scottish team.
Most importantly, we’re excited to hear all their stories when they return home.
A big thank you goes to everyone who supported the national team and helped make the trip to Brazil possible.
