Beach boys and girls will be heading to the far north this month as Thurso is once again on the major UK surfing circuit.
With support from SSE and the Highlands Council, the Thurso Surfing Festival is helping to bring the UK pro surfing championships back north which will see more than 100 surfers compete for the national title on the weekend of October 26 and 27.
The event will showcase both professional and junior surfers with an emphasis on the next generation of surfers and will feature the qualifying event to choose the elite junior surfers to represent Great Britain in a series of international events next year.
Thurso surfer Andy Bain, said: “Having the UK Pro Surf tour coming to Thurso this year with its open and juniors divisions will be a great event for the town. The local people now realise that Thurso has some quality waves.
“This will be a great opportunity for Scottish surfers at a competing level to enter the event, especially the juniors who otherwise would have to travel to Cornwall to compete at such a level.”
The sponsorship by SSE and support by Highland Council will allow Thurso to once again assert itself as one the best surfing locations in the UK and promote the region’s outdoor lifestyle. Organisers estimate that this event will bring more than 2,000 visitors to the area.
Local venues have organised entertainment for the weekend and Shaka Events will be performing at Y-Not Bar & Grill with their unique DJ mixes and image projections.
Isla Mackay, of Y-Not, said: “I’m delighted to support the festival again and looking forward to a really busy weekend of surf and Shaka.”
Ruth Liddicoat, SSE’s liaison manager, said: “The festival is an important event on a local, regional and national level and helps to further raise the profile of this area – not just in terms of its excellent waves, but also in terms of everything else it has to offer.”
The three Highland Council members for Thurso, Councillors Donnie Mackay, John Rosie and Roger Saxon have put some funding in to support this year’s festival.