Full details of Guinness Eurosurf '97, the European Surfing Championships, which will take place in Bundoran Co. Donegal from 19th - 29th September were announced this week at the official launch in Guinness Reception Centre.
Mr Jim McDaid, TD, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation will officially open Guinness Eurosurf '97 in Bundoran on 20th September in which nearly 300 surfers from 15 countries will be competing in eight categories making these European Championships Europe's biggest ever surfing competition. The winners of each event will receive specially inscribed pieces of Waterford Crystal from the John Rocha collection.
The 17 strong Irish squad led by French based Australian coach Peter Cook aim to add to Ireland's current medal haul of one gold, two silver and three bronze medals since Irish teams first started competing in 1969.
Currently Ireland is ranked 6th of the countries that make up the European Surfing Federation. Ireland previously hosted the European Surfing Championships in Lahinch in 1972 and Rossnowlagh in 1985.
France and Portugal dominated the last European Championships and Alexis Gazzo the men's longboard champion from France will again be defending his crown at Guinness Eurosurf '97 when Bundoran becomes the surfing capital of Europe during the ten day competition.
Mr Brian Britton, President of the Irish Surfing Association said that he was delighted to welcome the championships to Ireland. "For such a small country Ireland has quite a large surfing community of around 3,000 enthusiasts and twelve clubs within the Irish Surfing Association [including the East Coast Surf Club]. I look forward to a show-case exhibition of surfing which will reinforce the tremendous increase in standards which is occurring in European surfing after the successful performances by all European teams in last year's World Championships in California" he said.
Says Britton "After the success of the Guinness European Cup in Bundoran in 1995 we felt it was important to continue our support of surfing in Ireland and what better way to do so than to sponsor Europe's premier surfing competition. Guinness would like to welcome all our overseas visitors to a very exciting ten days competition which will hopefully culminate in Ireland winning a medal".
A special feature of the competition will be that it will coincide with World Beach Clean Up Day on 20th September. This is an initiative started 12 years ago and supported by the surfing community around the world. Part of the Opening Ceremony of Guinness Eurosurf '97 will include a symbolic action in support of this.
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