Cresting A Wave

Cresting A Wave Scottish surfing is in great shape as its young stars gear up for the national championships Mark Boyd

- by DANIELLA THEIS

SURFING has surged in popularity in recent years, and not just in Scotland - which is home to the S world's first inland surf resort. The next Olympic Games, in Los Angeles in 2028, will see surfing become a mandatory Olympic sport for the first time.

The Scottish National Surfing Championships have been a key fixture in the surfing calendar since 1974. And this year's competition coincides with the 50th anniversary of Scottish Surfing (SSF), the national governing body for all disciplines of surfing in Scotland.

Scottish pro surfer Mark Boyd started competing in his teens. Since then, he has won the title of Scottish Champion multiple times, competed at home and abroad, and captained the Scottish surfing team. Today he is operations manager for Scottish Surfing, the charitable organisation that plans the event.