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day's event, and finished third after the end of the Championships. That was 1993. Taking home that experience they got to grips with training and putting on their own ranking competitions and began to grow in ability and number,
with the following results: Placing 4th in '94 HI; 4th in 95 World in Costa Rica; 3rd in '96 HI on their rather surf less home break; 5th at the '97 worlds with a full team for the first time, with support crew, and second in '98 HI in Cornwall. Real success started at the championships in '99 in Brazil. By the final day Jersey were in the running for second place with the
US East team. It was up to the juniors to determine the final

position on that impressive podium on that Brazilian beach. Coming runner up on a world scene for a small Island was a fantastic achievement. We became Sports Team of the year at home and enjoyed the status of being second best Surf Kayak Team in the World! The problem then came… That there was only one direction the team were expected to go… Upwards.

There are only two international Surf Kayak Team Championships in the World and in 2000/2001 they were only six months apart.
The BCU Home Internationals took place in Ireland in September, the Worlds then followed in Santa Cruz in March 2001. Team Jersey won them both!

Jersey travelled to the next World Championships with a lot expected of them. The team surfed well in the opening rounds, making it through to the final. It was then that the competition was moved to a break that the team had never surfed before, placing a huge disadvantage on the team. We placed fourth at the end of the championships. This still, however proved we are one of the besat teams in the world!

Stuart McGlinchey

Team Manager

Jersey had been off the competitive surf kayak scene for a number of years when two paddlers who spent a lot of time surfing their plastic boats decided it was time to have a go in glass boats. The following year they bumped into the BCU Surf Committee at the International Canoe Exhibition and were 'invited' to put a team into the BCU Home International Surf Kayak Championships being held in Fresh West, Wales, later that year.

Gathering 5 other friends and one five-seater car (thats another story!) They set off to find out what this competition surfing was all about. With no wave-ski paddlers and no competition experience at all, they were placed second after the first