The Ireland Waveski Surfing Team recently competed in the World Waveski Surfing Championships in Santa Cruz Portugal.
92 competitors representing fourteen Countries, were in attendance at the championships. Ireland had 8 competitors representing the provinces of Ulster and Munster in the Open Mens and Open Ladies divisions as well as age categories of Cadets, Juniors, Seniors and Masters.
Waveski surfing can be best described as a cross between kayaking and surfing. The majority of the team have been training along the Ulster coastline from Portrush in the East to Donegal in the West. The youngest Irish athlete Sophia Lazarescu, now 13 has been training since she was 9 years old and was the highest placed female in the cadets division. All other athletes reached the quarter final stages of their respective age division. However, Guillaume Desprez from Cork progressed to the semi finals of the senior division before being knocked out.
Aidan McElhinney from Donegal progressed to the quarter finals in what was his first taste of international competition. A great achievement.
Marty McCann the team coach says that “all athletes can be very proud of their performance both on and off the water” and that “the team can be confident that they can compete against the best in the world as we look toward the next World Championships in Spain in 2018”.
In the mean time the team will turn their attention toward the upcoming British, Irish and Northern Ireland Open competitions which take place during September and October.
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