Three youngsters from Fraserburgh are preparing to take to the waters in Portugal for the European Junior Surfing Championships.
Following their successful Scottish competition results, the trio were selected to represent their country at the the Eurosurf Junior championships this summer.
Callie Cruickshank, Lola Mitchell and Israel Noble are all junior members of the Broch Surf Club and will be competing against Europe’s top surfing talents.
The trio always “jump at the chance” to go out surfing and are all very excited about the new experience they will have in Santa Cruz, Portugal – especially the warmer waters.
Israel, 13, said he loves challenging himself when he is out surfing, which has helped him become the Under 14 Boys Scottish Champion.
“Competitions have just been scattered around Scotland in the past, we’ve never been abroad before. It’s individual when we’re out there, but we’ll be going as a team,” Israel said.
‘A remarkable achievement’
Callie is part of a surfing family and despite only being 11-years-old she became the Under 16 Girls Scottish Champion last year.
Her dad, Russell Cruickshank, runs the Broch Surf Club alongside other volunteers who are focused on getting more people involved in the sport.
“You don’t automatically think of Scotland when you hear surfing, but there is a really good surf scene here – the waves are just a bit off-putting in the cold,” he said.
“Every time you go surfing it is different, it’s not something you can ever get bored of. There are so many variables consistently changing. It’s a dynamic environment, so it keeps it exciting.”
Lola, 13, said she started surfing after having a go on her dad’s surf board and now loves being out in the water and fresh air.
She gained her spot in the junior surfing team after becoming the Under 16 Scottish Surfing Federation (SSF) Series Winner.
“It’s a big step for this three, going up against the European elite. It’s a remarkable achievement for all of them at such a young age, and rewarding for the club,” Mr Cruickshank added.
“It’ll be difficult for them, but a really good learning curve if they want to progress and do surfing in the future. Nobody has any expectations of winning, it’s just about having a good bit of fun.
“They’ll do their best and make the country proud.”
Making surfing more accessible
The Broch Surf Club was established in 1974 when the first competitive surfing event was held in Fraserburgh.
Since then, the town has become a “dominant force” in Scottish surfing with several champions using the surrounding waters to hone their skills.
One of their main aims over the past couple of years has been encouraging more young people to get involved with the sport.
At the start of 2020, the Broch Surf Club had only one registered junior member.
Just two years later, there are now more than 100 juniors associated with the club – the highest number in the country, according to SSF reports.
“One of the things that has helped the surfing community in Fraserburgh has been Covid,” Mr Cruickshank explained.
“A lot of the kids have been in involved in swimming and football clubs and when Covid first came all the team sports stopped. Instead, families flocked to the beach.”
The Broch Surf Club hosted its first junior competition – Groms on the Prom – in October 2021 with a focus on participation and fun. During this, they recorded the highest attendance of under 14s to ever compete at a Scottish surf event.
The future is looking bright for Fraserburgh’s surf scene with the recent opening of Coast Surf Skate Shop, on School Street, and tuition being provided by the George Watt Surf School.
Moving forward, the club intends to get as many people involved in surfing as possible, on a free or low-cost basis to make it more accessible.
Community support
Israel, Lola and Callie’s success shows the focus on getting more young people involved in Fraserburgh’s surfing community has paid off.
However, due to their young age they do not qualify for any grants to support their sporting careers.
When the Rotary Club in Fraserburgh heard about this dilemma, they decided to donate £500 to help one of the surfers with their training costs.
Ann Bell, past president of the Rotary Club, said “Fraserburgh Rotary is known in the area for supporting local community projects and as such, I was asked if we as a club could support Callie.
“When I brought this to the attention of the club it was unanimously agreed that we should support this amazing young surfer, by granting her £500 to enable her to continue her incredible journey at such a young age.
“We are delighted to help promote the Broch Surf Club and thrilled to see Callie acting as an ambassador for Fraserburgh at the highest level in her sport. We are extremely proud of her and are looking forward to following her progress.”
