About
History of the BLU
The British Longboard Union began in 1994 when Robert "Minnow" Green organised a two day longboard event at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall.
The contest attracted some important names to Britain’s shores with surfing professionals Nat Young and his son Beau plus Joel Tudor and Duane Desoto in attendance. Following the event, a number of British longboarders felt it would be a beneficial step for the sport to run a series of similar events, so in 1995 a British tour was conceived. In 1996 the British Longboard Union was launched with backing from Oxbow. Since then some of of BLU Champions have gone on to achieve some stunning successes in both the European, ISA and World Longboard Champions.
Purpose of the British Longboard Union (BLU)
Our aim is to run events across the UK that enable longboard surfers to experience a surfing competition event that is focused on the art of longboarding. Through our highly experienced event organisers and judges we provide a platform for individuals to progress and develop their long boarding in a supportive and encouraging competition environment. These events are invaluable in bringing together our diverse longboarding community to celebrate the stoke of riding a longboard. Equally important the BLU is the best platform for any of our competitors who want to progress into the European or World Longboard events. The events we run offer our surfers to reconnect with each other, share the stoke and learn from each other in a professionally run competition environment that always embraces the unique supportive and encouraging vibe that sums up longboarding. We are particularly proud of our junior surfers there are a growing number of younger surfers discovering longboarding and our events offer them a brilliant opportunity to be part of our longboard community, forge new friendships and developing their surfing by watching world class longboard surfing.
Format for events – plan for 2025
We have 4 events already planned for this year, in Cornwall, Devon and Tyneside and will certainly look to hold more, hopefully in Wales and Scotland as soon as we can secure sponsorships or funding.
For 2025 we have:
BLU Classic Events – these consist of Men and Women’s Open, Cadets Under 16’s, Under 18’s Boys, Under 18’s girls, Womens over 35, Masters over 40 and Grand Masters over 50.
We are also running a BLU Single Fin Event.
For details of all our events please click here (insert link for summary of events)
For 2025 overall Championship places will be awarded based on the best surfer placement from 2 of the events that we run (i.e a surfer’s best 2 places from all the BLU events they compete in that year). So, surfers need to enter a minimum of 2 events to be placed in the overall Championship.
Sponsorship and funding
Huge thanks to our sponsors, without who we would not be able to hold our events. So far this year we are being supported by GUARD, Tregenna Castle St Ives, The Thatch Saunton, Saunton Sands Hotel, The Break Saunton Beach Cafe, Tynemouth Surf Company, North Tyneside Council and media partners Longboarder magazine and Wavelength.
Through our event coverage we reach out to a wide social media community and often get local and press coverage to. In 2025 we are also hoping to live stream as many of the events as we can which offers us further opportunities to promote brands that are supporting us. We are constantly on the lookout for sponsors and funding so please get in touch with xxxx for more information.
The BLU’s Current Position
The BLU has been run through the hard work and commitment of a small group of individuals and we couldn’t have achieved what we have without the incredible support of our sponsors mainly local businesses to the events we hold and related brands. Over the years the BLU has had notable success and gained respect from other surfing organisations and Governing Bodies in both the UK, Europe and the World stage. Whilst we operate under the Surfing England National Governing Body, our events are open, and where possible run, across the United Kingdom. We have recently established a new committee and determined that transitioning to Community Interest Company structure will offer us further scope to grow and run even more events for the thriving longboard community that we have in the UK.
The BLU now consists of a core team of four,
Minnow Green – Events Director and Finance
Norman Wright - BLU Head Judge and Sponsorship Lead,
Simon Mitchell – BLU Social Media and Marketing,
Dawn Leighfield - BLU Secretary & Safeguarding Lead ,
Over the years I have been to many of the BLU events as my daughter started competing in the BLU competitions from the age of 15. Everyone has always been so super encouraging and I am very excited by the wealth of talent that is building up in our longboard community. My background for the last 10 years has been working in a Primary School and my role included Safeguarding Lead. Previously, I worked in Financial Services and I have a good grounding in Project and Risk Management. Now I am retired and looking forward to supporting the BLU to achieve its ambitions for the future as well as catching the odd small wave myself.
In addition to the core team we are supported by a team of talented people without whom we couldn’t hold our events.
For more information please contact us at:
Britishlongboardunion@yahoo.com
