Scottish surfing is welcoming a new generation of talent, with 2025 poised to be a ground-breaking year for Scotland’s national youth surf performance team. The opening of Lost Shore Surf Resort, also recognised as the Scottish National Performance Centre for Surfing, will set the stage for Scotland’s young surfers to make waves on the international stage.
The junior performance program aims to develop the next generation of elite surfers and foster Scottish talent for global events, including future Olympics. After a competitive application and review process, 21 of Scotland’s best your surfers have now received confirmation of their place in the squad over 2025/26.
The state of the art wave pool in Edinburgh offers young surfers a unique training advantage, providing consistent, customisable waves that replicate a variety of ocean conditions. This controlled environment allows athletes to refine their technical skills and prepare for the unpredictable nature of open-water competitions.
Scheduled training sessions at Lost Shore will be delivered by Scotland’s Head Coach, Craig Sutherland, and support services to ensuring a high-performance development pipeline.
The youth team, compromising of boys and girls aged 10 to 17, was selected based on rigorous performance criteria including results from National competitions such as the Surfing Nationals. Key events like the Junior Nationals and Junior Series are hosted across iconic Scottish surfing locations, including Tiree, Thurso, Dunbar and Sandend.
Competitors participate in four to five events annually, with their top three performances determining their final rankings. The chosen lucky surfers are then selected to represent Scotland and Great Britain in International competitions, highlighting the program’s role as a launchpad for global success.
In 2023, Scottish youth surfers competed in the World Surfing Championship in Rio and the European Championship in Portugal finishing in a very respectable 12th place. Building on this momentum, Scottish Surfing has recently confirmed that Scotland will look to enter another strong squad to this year’s World Championships.
Craig emphasised the program’s long-term vision, stating, “the ongoing selection of the youth program will help push our young surfers to World Championships and hopefully, the Olympics in the future – that’s the goal.”
Addressing Scotland’s challenging weather conditions, Craig highlights the importance of the wave pool for training, saying, “the wave pool provides a consistent training environment, overcoming constant battles with weather in Scotland. We’re also planning training camps abroad to mitigate the impact of the harsh winter season.”
Craig also praised the determination of Scotland’s young surfers, remarking, “they’re pretty hardcore, surfing through the winter in freezing water.”
With enhanced resources, expert coaching and a growing pool of dedicated athletes, the future of surfing in Scotland looks brighter than ever. As these young surfers rise to the challenge, they not only represent the potential of Scottish sports but also inspire the next generation of wave riders to follow in their footsteps.