Belhaven Beach, East Lothian | 26 April 2026
Eight years is a long time to wait. Trends come and go. People move on. But the Scottish bodyboarding community never really went away. It just needed the right moment to remind everyone it was still here. On 26 April 2026, the Scottish Surfing Bodyboard Nationals and Open was held at Belhaven Beach, and Scottish bodyboarding showed up ready.
The day kicked off around 10am with competitors, officials, and a healthy crowd of supporters making their way down to the beach. The atmosphere was immediately electric. Riders from across the country had travelled to East Lothian for a shot at the title, and you could feel it. This was not a casual Sunday session. This was competition.
The weather, in a rare moment of Scottish generosity, held out. What greeted everyone could only be described as “Scottish acceptable.” Translation: it didn’t rain on us. We will take that as a win. The sea conditions kept everyone honest though. The swell was on the tricky side, shifting and unpredictable in the way Belhaven can be, but we were blessed with just enough to run a full and proper competition across all five categories. The riders read it well, picked their moments, and made the most of every set that came through. By the time the last final heat wrapped up around 4:00pm, it was clear the day had delivered exactly what Scottish bodyboarding deserved. Competitors and supporters then gathered at the Belhaven Surf Centre for prize giving, a fitting end to a day well earned.
The Results
Men – Scottish National Championship
Tim Christopherson took first place, with Josh Christopherson in second, Warren Bayley claiming third, and Paul Flitcroft rounding out the top four.
Josh Christopherson grabbing a final roll 
Tim Christopherson producing a clean reverse spin
Men – Open/International
Tim Christopherson doubled up, taking the Open title too. Josh Christopherson again in second, Jose Gonzalez third, and Aristee Benoit-Gonin fourth. A strong and competitive field all the way through.
Women – Open/International
Cris Davison put in a commanding performance to take first place, with Hilary Young finishing in second. Two riders who showed exactly what Scottish women’s bodyboarding looks like.
Junior (U18) – Scottish National Championship
Joel Christopherson took gold in the juniors, with Tam Hood in second, Rudi Johnston-Forrest in third, and Jacob Briggs in fourth. The next generation looks good. Very good.
Drop Knee – Open/International
Jose Gonzalez, already on the podium in the Men – Open/International, came back to win the Drop Knee category in style. Paul Flitcroft took second, Paul McFadzean third, and Josh Christopherson fourth. Josh, at this point, had a very productive day.
Sponsors
We had some incredible prizes on offer, including a brand new bodyboard. Big waves of gratitude go to the sponsors who made that possible: Coast 2 Coast Surf School, Loudons Cafe, Dunbar T-Shirt Shop, Scottish Boog Crew, Lost Shore, and Boog Wax (Australia). Your support made this event real.
Thank You
None of this happens without the people behind the scenes. A huge thank you to all the officials, judges, and volunteers who gave their time to make the day run smoothly. And to every single competitor who entered: you showed up, you paddled out in tricky conditions, and you made the return of the SSF Bodyboard Nationals and Open something worth remembering. We could not have done this without you.
Big shout out to Calum Main, over videographer, whom we managed to get on board a day before the event! We truly love the video edit you did. Thank you so much!
The wait is over. Bodyboarding is back in Scotland. We now turn our attention to grassroots development, growing the next wave of Scottish riders, and making sure the event(s) in 2027 are even bigger. Watch this space.
See you in the water.
SSF Bodyboard Committee
If you are interested in learning more about bodyboarding and keen on developing your skills in a highly enjoyable wave craft sport in Scotland, you can reach us on: bodyboarding@scottishsurfing.scot
