Competition

Jersey led the way, hosting the first British competition in the late 1950s. Photo: British Championships St Ouen 1966.

Surfers

Surf spots

Steve England

Steve England is the Editor of Carve surfing magazine. He grew up surfing Porthtowan in Cornwall, after his parents moved down from Lancashire.

Steve England

Steve England is the Editor of Carve surfing magazine. He grew up surfing Porthtowan in Cornwall, after his parents moved down from Lancashire.

Steve England

Steve England is the Editor of Carve surfing magazine. He grew up surfing Porthtowan in Cornwall, after his parents moved down from Lancashire.

John Adams

John Adams helped pioneer surfing around Penzance and Sennen in West Cornwall in the early 60s. He also ran 'The Winter Gardens' a dancehall in Penzance, a hang out for local surfers and set up Three S Films which created some early British surf films.

Nick Radcliffe

Nick Radcliffe started surfing aged 12 in St Agnes and got his first surfboard in 1973 for £15.

Stuart Keogh

Stuart Keogh first came to Cornwall in 1969 and opened Keo surfboards in 1969. He organised the Newquay Surf Classic Pro Am in 1981 and ran many other competitions after that.

Paul Russell

Former European Surfing Champion in Open (1983-85) and Senior (1991-93) divisions, Paul Russell was winner of the first European Professional Surfing Circuit in 1984. Twice British Champion. Six times English Champion.

Paul Russell

Paul Benney

Paul Benney has been instrumental to the development of Surf Life Saving in Cornwall and has been a professional lifeguard for years. He still works on Crantock beach through the club.

Sarah Bentley

Sarah Bentley grew up surfing in South Wales but now lives in Porthtowan, Cornwall. She has competed Britain in the World Surfing Games in 2004 and has been an ambassador for several surfing brands.

Steve Skinner

Steve Skinner grew up bellyboarding in Jersey and took to stand-up surfing in the early 70s. He set up the Jersey Longboard Club in 1991 and was President of Jersey’s surf club in 95-96 before moving to Cornwall. His son is professional surfer Ben Skinner.

Spencer Hargraves

Former European and British champion Spencer Hargraves got into surfing in Newquay aged 12 and hasn't looked back.

Spencer Hargraves

Former European and British champion Spencer Hargraves got into surfing in Newquay aged 12 and hasn't looked back.

Spencer Hargraves

Former European and British champion Spencer Hargraves got into surfing in Newquay aged 12 and hasn't looked back.

Dave Grimshaw

Dave Grimshaw formed the British Surfing Association in 1966.

Dave Grimshaw

Dave Grimshaw formed the British Surfing Association in 1966.

Richard Trewella

Richard Trewella spent his childhood on Great Western Beach in Newquay. He and his friends started with 'chicken run boards' until the late 50s when his friend saw a demonstration at Porthtowan Surf Life Saving Club. At first he and a friend built 14 ft longboards from plywood but in '62 he built his first lightweight board.

Roger Mansfield

Roger Mansfield was born in Newquay. He learned to surf aged 6 and was British Surfing Champion in 1970. He curated the 'Surf's Up' exhibition in 2004 and wrote 'The Surfing Tribe - A History of British Surfing' in 2009. He is Research Consultant for 'The First Wave'.

Dave Friar

Dave Friar first started surfing in 1963 while working as a beach lifeguard in Newquay. He was involved in the formation of the BSA in 1966. Also a board shaper, he started making boards for Bilbo in Newquay, but set up a shop in Swansea when surfing took off in Wales in the late 60s.

Norman Frost

Norman Frost joined Porthtowan SLSC in the late 1950s. He founded Swell Surf Products, building surfboards that were easy to learn on. He is now a Director of Sustainable Composites, creating surfboards made of more eco-materials. He is married to Pip Frost.

Norman Frost

Bill Batten

Bill Batten was one of the first pioneers of surfing in Scotland. He returned from New Zealand in 1968 and brought a board back with him. He founded the Scottish Surfing Federation with Andy Bennetts,Ian Wishart and others in 1975.

Russell Winter

Brought up in Newquay, Russel Winter was the first ever European to qualify for the World Championship Tour and continued to compete at an international level for well over a decade with memorable wins over Mark Occolupo, Kelly Slater and Sunny Garcia.

Russell Winter

Martin Geary

Martin Geary came to Newquay in 1966 as deckchair man and lifeguard on Tolcarne Beach. He started building surfboards co-founding Martin Richards Surfboards later known as Outer Limits. Arthritis stopped him surfing and surfboard building.

John Adams

Andy Hill

Andy Hill runs Troggs surf shop in Portrush, Northern Ireland and competed for Ireland in the 80s and 90s. His father, Ian Hill, was one NI's first surfers.

Gwyn Haslock

One of the first women surfers in Britain Gwyn Haslock bought her first board in 1965/6 (aged 21) and surfed every weekend from then on. She had a car and drove from her home in Truro to Tolcarne in Newquay. Her first wave was caught on a 10ft board called Big Bertha.

Tris Cokes

Tris Cokes was brought up in Porthtowan, Cornwall. He opened Tris Surf shop in 1971 and shaped many boards. He now runs Homeblown, manufacturing more environmentally friendly surfboard blanks.

Johnny Manetta

Johnny Manetta moved to Cornwall from London in 1969/70. He has been shaping boards and part of Tris Surf Shop in Porthtowan since 1974 and organised the Cornish and Open through the 70s and 80s.

Arlene Maltman

During the summer of 1976, aged 12, Arlene Maltman borrowed boards and suits and kept practicing in the whitewater. She won the European Championships in 1984 and the British in 1984. She is President of Jersey Surf Club.

Pete Ash

Pete Ash moved to Cornwall in the late 1960s aged 12. He got into surfing through his father who had been posted to Australia during the war and brought boards and surfing ideas back to postwar Britain.

Nigel Semmens

English, British and European champion, Nigel Semmens started surfing in his hometown of Newquay in 1971 - when he was 14. He later set up and was head shaper for Ocean Magic.

Chops Lascelles

Surfer and shaper Chops Lascelles was born in Queensland before moving to the UK in 1974. He initially came to Perranporth in Cornwall to get work as a lifeguard.

Chops Lascelles

Surfer and shaper Chops Lascelles was born in Queensland before moving to the UK in 1974. He initially came to Perranporth in Cornwall to get work as a lifeguard.

Dan (Mole) Joel

Dan Joel, AKA: Mole is known for the big wave riding he did on the West Coast of Ireland in his early 30s (2008). A Porthleven boy, he was inspired by older guys like Budgie, Bernie, Milky and Dave Burr who were riding the reef.

Ian Morcom

Ian Morcom AKA 'Porky' started surfing in Newquay in the early 60s. Also a surfboard builder and shaper he worked for Bilbo in Newquay and Tiki in Wales and North Devon.