Celebrating our stars of the surf

Our rugby XV, for example, is frequently in the limelight and its successes at a national level rightly attract widespread praise. Equally, the exploits of out Island Games teams are followed avidly by many Islanders and team members are feted when they return with their customary haul of medals.

But can it be said that we also have unsung sporting heroes who are not accorded their fair share of acclamation? The answer is probably ‘yes’ – and the Island’s surfers probably provide evidence of this. Their recent triumphs in European and global competitions have received due publicity in this newspaper, but it is questionable how many people understand just how well our stars of the waves have performed.

It would be possible to compile a substantial list of champion Jersey surfers past and present, but it is possible to summarise the Island’s present standing in the sport by mentioning two names – Ben Skinner, who finished first in Europe and second in the World Longboard Championships held recently in Peru, and 17-year-old Ben Bates, who placed 8th in the Peru event.

As surfing enthusiasts might point out, although there is strength in depth in Jersey sport and although various competitors have acquitted themselves superbly in national and international competition, Ben Skinner is currently the only Island athlete who can claim to be number two in the world.

Meanwhile, the observations of Roley McMichael, manager of the Channel Island Surf Team, lends further weight to Mr Skinner’s claim to fame. Our islands compete on a shoestring, but rival teams from countries such as France, Portugal, Spain and the USA receive very substantial support. The French team, for instance, has received funding of four million euros.

This is not to say that Jersey can – or indeed should – find very substantial sums to back its surfers or any other sports teams. This might not amount to prudence in the present economic climate. That said, this seems to be evident: we should acknowledge the accomplishments of Mr Skinner and his team-mates and celebrate their great success. We should also remember that although we have only a scant few miles of surf beach, we can proudly say that those at St Ouen’s Bay were one of the cradles of the sport and pastime on this side of the Atlantic.