Llantwit Major-based Channel Coast Surf Club has held its first competition in honour of former member Hugh Walker, who died in 2013 as a result of a brain tumour.
The Channel Coast Surf Club Championships were held over the two days of last weekend on Llantwit beach with 41 surfers taking part in 6 divisions. The club is hoping to make the championships an annual fixture in the surfing calendar, involving other clubs to increase the competition.
Sea conditions made the competition possible on the weekend, with waves averaging 3ft rolling in from the Bristol channel.
Surfers each had time slots of 25 minutes in the sea to catch and surf as many waves as possible. They then were judged on their best two rides.
The winners in each division were:
Open – Kieran Huges
Junior – Kieran Hughes
Legends ‘Hugh Walker Trophy’ (older surfers) – Jamie Bateman
Longboards – Aaron Bright
Women – Emily Williams
Groms (children) – Eli Perrins Davies
Curtis Hancock, club secretary, said, “The first Channel Coast Surf Club Championships in memory of Hugh Walker were a great success with local surfers putting in some great performances.
“I would like to thank everybody who took part and had a hand in organising the weekend, without whom this would not have been possible. We hope to make this an annual competition and enhance Llantwit’s reputation as a surfing destination.
“I would encourage all local people to take advantage of Llantwit Major’s geography and try their hand at surfing.”
Vale MP Alun Cairns who spectated the event said, “It’s great to see the surf club bringing local people together for some competitive fun and boosting Llantwit Major’s appeal to surf tourists.
“This was a very well-organised event and I would like to congratulate Curtis and the team for putting it on. I wish them the very best for future, bigger competitions which will no doubt put the Llantwit surf scene on the map.”