Para surfers from across England and Europe gathered at Fistral Beach in Newquay for the English Para Surfing Open this Saturday 11th July — and what a day it was!
The day was filled with Waves, sun and massive stoke from competitors, spectators, volunteers who came together for a truly special day of para surfing. Athletes travelled from far and wide to compete, and the high standard on show throughout the day reflected that, with surfers absolutely ripping across every division.
Athletes hailing from The North-East of England, Abbie Potts and Finn Jones, both members of the Team England Para Development Squad – made their mark on the contest, securing the wins in the Open VI and Para Prone 2 divisions, respectively. Both athletes, even after a long drive from the North East to Cornwall, were ready to fire on all cylinders and delivered great performances. During Finn’s heat, he made a big strategy decision to do a surfboard swap mid-final which ultimately paid off and secured him the win! Abbie made a great comeback in her final jumping from third to first in the second half to become a well-deserving champion of her division.
One of the standout stories of the day came from Cameron Treble, who delivered an outstanding performance in a stacked, experienced Open Prone final. Remarkably, only his second time para surfing, Treble looked every bit the natural, matching the pace of far more seasoned competitors with real determination. We hope to see much more of Cameron in the future, he is a promising prospect in the England para surfing community.
Afonso Faria led from the front all day, carrying his form from the semi-final through to the final, where he posted a combined total of 11.40 in his opening heat. Faria read the waves perfectly, consistently finding the pockets when it mattered. Pedro Palma kept pushing on his tail for the final finishing with just a 0.6 margin behind Faria.
Team England’s Para Development Squad also shone across the board, with Zoe Smith, Melissa Reid, Harlum Lewis and Natasha Davies all competing strongly within their divisions — proof that the squad training put in the previous day paid off when it counted the most.
The day was defined by a brilliant atmosphere, with competitors spending time together in the athletes’ area, which stayed cool and shaded even as the midday sun beat down. There was a real sense of camaraderie throughout, and we’d like to say a special thank you to Moulded Earplugs, who joined us on the day offering free ear health checks to competitors and volunteers alike.
We’d also like to highlight every single volunteer who came down to support the event. It was fantastic to have a beach filled with people who share such a genuine passion for surfing. With the standard on show today, the future of English para surfing looks brighter than ever. We’ll be watching closely to see how today’s competitors — and today’s champions — build on this in the year ahead.
Our Support and Gratitude for All Involved — A Heartfelt Thank You
The success of the Open Para English Surfing Championship is a testament to the dedication and passion of all participants, volunteers and sponsors. A big thank you to all volunteers who gave up their time to help athletes in and out of the water! The contest could not run without their hard work and dedication. Thank you also to those organisations that helped us with vital equipment, The Wave Project, Surfability UK and AdSurf are always so supportive of our events and helping us make sure we have the right equipment for all of our athletes.
A huge thank you to Fistral Beach, era adventures and The Hangout Newquay for their support in hosting and running this event. Thank you to all surfers, supporters, media team, judges and event team for being part of this brilliant day. A big thank you also to our Contest Director Pauly Jeffery, for ensuring the smooth running of the contest.
It was a phenomenal day for Para Surfing, and we cannot wait for next year!
PARTNERS
This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors Caravan and Motorhome Club, dryrobe and Kukuna, our supporting sponsors Radwax and INEOS, and our partners Moulded Earplugs, Surfline and Wavelength.
A huge thank you to Fistral Beach, Era adventures and The Hangout Newquay for their support with this year’s event.
RESULTS
For all wave scores, click here: LiveHeats Link
Open Division Results
Open Prone
1st Cliff Lee
2nd Cameron Treble
Open Prone – Women
1st Abbie Potts
2nd Jesse Hayes
Open Stand
1st Louis Sutton
Open Kneel
1st Stephen Downes
2nd Jasper MacCall
3rd Rheya Sarre
Open Kneel – Women
1st Roxanne Phillips
Open VI
1st Finn Jones
2nd Daniel Hall
3rd Ashley Greenway
Para Classified Open Divisions
Para Prone 2
1st Afonso Faria
2nd Pedro Palmer
3rd James Price
4th Andy Guy
Para Prone 2 Women
1st Natasha Davies
2nd Chloe Sheil
3rd Kay Miller
Para Stand 2
1st Pegleg Bennett
Para Stand 2 Women
1st Zoe Smith
Para Stand 1 Open
1st Benoit Moreau
Para Kneel Open
1st Laurent Marouf
Para Prone 1 Open
1st Harlum Lewis
Para VI 2 Open
1st David Lewis
2nd Matthew Thorne
Para VI 2 Womens
1st Melissa Reid
Para VI 1 Open
1st Thomas Da Silva
OUR MEMBERSHIP
Inspired by what you’ve seen and read, and keen to support English Surfing? New members are always welcome to join us! Junior membership is just £20/year and Adult membership £28. Find out about the benefits and sign up here.
CONTACT US
Events enquiries, please contact lauren@surfingengland.org
General enquiries, please contact info@surfingengland.org
Media enquiries, please contact alex@surfingengland.org
