Surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1929 when four Australian teenagers brought the sport to

Cribbar The Cribbar ( Cornish - ''kribow'': reefs), also known as the Widow Maker, is a reef off the Towan Headland in Newquay, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the Un ...

, Britain. Earlier recorded instance of surfing in the UK may have happened in

Bridlington Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its harbour. The 2011 Cen ...

in the 19th century. The sport has a small but significant following, and

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

is considered a hotbed of surfing in the United Kingdom.

History

The

Museum of British Surfing The Museum of British Surfing is in Braunton in the English county of Devon. The museum contains exhibits relating to the history of surfing in the United Kingdom. The Museum of British Surfing was founded by ITV News journalist and surfing hist ...

opened in 2012 in

Braunton Braunton is a large village, civil parish, ecclesiastical parish and former manor in Devon. The village is situated west of Barnstaple. It is one of the largest villages in Devon with a population at the 2021 census of 10,217 people. There a ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

. English Surfing Federation is the official board in the United Kingdom for surfing. For Wales it is the

Welsh Surfing Federation The Welsh Surfing Federation (WSF) is the national governing body of surfing in Wales, affiliated to the European Surfing Federation. It is responsible for promoting the sport by organising National Championships, participating in events to raise ...

Surfing in Scotland Surfing in Scotland is a minor sport. The water around Scotland is fairly cold, requiring a full wetsuit, although it is warmed by the Gulf Stream. In 2008, the actor Billy Boyd fronted VisitScotland's Perfect Day Campaign, and talked particu ...

is a minor sport. There are also a number of popular surfing locations in Northern Ireland.

Russell Winter Russell Winter is a British professional surfer and avid coasteerer. The highlight of his career so far has been gaining a place on the ASP World Championship Tour. During Russell Winter's career, he has been the English, British and Europ ...

was the first British surfer to make the

World Surfing Championship The ISA World Surfing Games, formerly known as the ISA World Surfing Championships, are organized by world governing body of surfing, the International Surfing Association (ISA), which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Edition ...

tour in surfing.

Demographics

Women make up 20% of surfers in the country. 250,000 people participate each year in surfing. Surfing in the UK tends to be a sport participated by the more affluent classes in the society and generates £2billion per year.

National board

In 2019, following on from a collaboration agreement between the Home Nations' surfing federations, British Surfing was established. The organisation describes itself as being "responsible for managing a British Team at selected ISA events which are seen as qualification opportunities for the Olympic games and responsible for managing matters related to elite athlete development at British level by liaising with UK Sport and the British Olympic Association".

Surfing culture in the UK

There are surfing waves all over the United Kingdom from as far south as Sennen Cove in Cornwall right up to Thurso on the North coast of Scotland. Some famous UK surf beaches include Fistral beach, Pease bay, Llangennith beach and Boscombe pier.

Bibliography

*''The Surfing Tribe: A History of Surfing in Britain''

References