Bakkafrost Scotland backs UK’s biggest windsurfing contest

Dozens of windsurfers from across Europe flocked to the Hebridean island of Tiree to attend this year’s Wave Classic, the largest UK windsurfing event.

As many as 60 competitors made the annual pilgrimage to take part in the world’s longest running professional windsurfing event.

Bakkafrost Scotland’s flagship brand Native Hebridean was once again a sponsor of the 41st week-long contest, with one of the highlights being a community beach barbecue following a beach clean, featuring the company’s premium salmon descended directly from the water surrounding the Hebridean islands.

Event host William Maclean said:“We had a new record number of registrations for the Wave Classic this year and, for the first time, we extended the event by a day.

“We had windsurfers coming from across Europe, including Belgium and the Netherlands.

“In total we had 60 take part, which we are very pleased with, particularly with the challenges Storm Amy brought to the island earlier in the month.

“Tiree is ideal for windsurfing, with the combination of the Atlantic surf and a dozen beaches to choose from. We are geographically blessed and I feel those coming here just feel a great sense of adventure. After all, we are four hours from the Scottish mainland.

“This is a blue riband event on the windsurfing British Tour and it also helps extend Tiree’s tourist season.

“Ironically, following Storm Amy, conditions were a little calmer than we are used to for some of the week, which gave us the chance to push some of the background events to the foreground.

“We dedicated a whole day to our Tiree Beach Clean, with a record number of people taking part, including all of our competitors and members of the local community. That was followed by the beach barbecue, with Bakkafrost Scotland rewarding everyone who took part with delicious Native Hebridean salmon on the sands.”

The event started on 11 October and concluded a day later than planned, on 18 October. The pro men’s winner was Dieter Van der Eyken, while Cori Mcfarlane topped the pro women’s leaderboard.

As well as the action on the waves, the Tiree Wave Classic also featured a Kids’ Development Zone set up on the island, teaching 24 youngsters from Tiree and across the UK about the basics of windsurfing.

Many of the windsurfers who competed on Tiree will now move on to the next leg of the British Tour this weekend in West Wittering in West Sussex, conditions permitting.