We’re stoked to announce the Surfing England Junior Surf Series is back for 2023. The 6 stop series is run in collaboration with our amazing Affiliated Surf Clubs and the continued support of headline sponsors, Eola and Animal UK.
The focus of the series is to provide a fun introduction to competitive surfing for u14s, working with some of the country’s most legendary surf clubs and the amazing volunteers who make grassroots surfing happen. Surfing England are providing some financial and practical support to get the series off the ground, building on the great partnerships with the surf clubs that were involved in 2022.
View the 2023 Junior Surf Series Event Format
Location and date list
Croyde Surf Club Saturday May 20th (Back update May 21st) Croyde Beach, North Devon.
Newquay Boardriders Saturday July 1st (Back update July 2nd) Fistral Beach, Newquay
Bude Waveriders Saturday July 15th (Back update July 16th) Widemouth Bay, North Cornwall.
Global Boarders Saturday September 16th (Back update September 17th) Praa Sands, Cornwall
Tynemouth Surf Club Weekend October September 1st – Oct 1st Tynemouth Beach, North East England
Finals 24th October @ The Wave
Building the future
Last year was a trial testing the one-day format and building the collaboration between our clubs and Surfing England, it laid foundations for the series, and encouraged lots of groms to get involved who’d never entered a national competition before.
This year we’re putting extra focus on getting more girls involved, working with local surf communities, female ambassadors and the junior girls already competing to help spread the word and provide a really supportive and fun introduction to surf comps.
‘I am very honoured to be involved in 2023 series, working with Surfing England and the brilliant surf clubs up and down the country. Last year’s events were a real success and it was fantastic to see new talent introduced to the series, watching the youngsters progress and seeing their passion to go to the next level.’ Phil Williams, Series Lead for Surfing England
We are as excited as the groms to see this series kicking off and have to give a huge thank you to our sponsors for helping make it happen. Callum Hemsley of Eola said “As the CEO of Eola, I am thrilled to announce our continued sponsorship of the upcoming junior surf series. We believe that investing in our youth and supporting their passions is a key part of building a better future for all. Surfing is not just a sport but a lifestyle, that teaches valuable lessons in perseverance determination, and respect of the environment. We are proud to be part of this event and look forward to seeing these young athletes ride the waves with style and grace”, and Animal UK’s managing director Mark Neale said “We’re thrilled to be supporting the Junior Surf Series again this year. It’s a fantastic initiative enabling young talent to experience competitive surfing and we can’t wait to see more future superstars hitting the waves throughout the series.”
FAQs
Sounds amazing – how do I enter?
Entry for each event will be via the ‘live heats’ portal via Surfing England. The announcements on entry opening will be made in advance via club and Surfing England social media, with instructions on how to enter. Spaces will be limited due to the volume of heats that can be run in one day.
What if I do not belong to a surf club?
The events are open to all. Each club can reserve 50% of spaces for members, the rest are available on a first come, first served basis. Get in quick as we expect high demand.
Can I volunteer or help out?
Yes! These events are only possible with the help of many volunteers. Please contact the host club direct if you want to help out at an event.
What is the format?
4 divisions: U14 boys, U14 girls, U12 boys, U12 girls with a max 24 heats (20-minute heats) running through the day. Ages are as of 1st Jan 2023 (following ISA guidelines on age categories). A maximum of 16 surfers in each division.
Why does the event not cover U16’s and U18’s?
Last year’s one-day event was a trial specifically to focus on the junior age groups that perhaps have less opportunity than the older ones, and after talking to the surf clubs and other partners it was thought that a one-day event format was still the best way forward given the limited capacity and resources we have.
Will the events be using LiveHeats so that we can follow if we cannot be there on the day?
This depends on the club, and the mobile phone signal. Most will use Liveheats, others might opt to run on paper tabulation with print outs of progressions. The main focus is the Club is comfortable in how they run and for those that wish to try LiveHeats the option is available.
Will there be an overall tour winner?
The winners of each age division will be invited to a final’s day at the end of October. The finals day will be in team format full of opportunities to develop skills, surf with pros and generally have a blast, rather than crowing a specific series winner. Full details on exact format to come.
Anything else I should know?
All participants need to be members of either the host club or Surfing England – so if you’re are not a member, get signed up!
Surfing England Membership includes personal accident insurance for surfing worldwide (including wave pools!), as well as great discounts and the latest news direct to your inbox. Junior Membership is just £18/year. Click here to join.
More queries?
Please ping us an email to info@surfingengland.org
