Team GB surfing event to go ahead at Thurso
A surfing competition which will help in the selection of the Great Britain team for the Tokyo Olympics is to take place in Caithness this weekend.
The qualification event at Thurso was postponed last year due to the Covid pandemic, but can now take place under relaxed Scottish government rules. Scottish, English and Welsh surfing federations will each have four women and four men taking part. It is the first time the event has been held in Scotland since 1992. Caithness last hosted the qualifier in the 1980s. Thurso on the north Caithness coast is renowned for its surfing conditions. The surfers will be competing for six spots on the GB Team going to an Olympic qualifier in May. Surfing will make its Olympic debut at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics this summer. Scots competing at Thurso this weekend will be Fraserburgh-based Mark Cameron, Jamie Bain and George Watt, also Thurso's Mark Boyd, Iona McLachlan, Phoebe Strachan and Shoana Blackadder and Elgin's Catriona MacDonald. McLachlan, who is the current Scottish Women's Champion, said: "It has been a real shame that other surfing competitions have not been able to go ahead due to Covid, so it will be really exciting to get the chance to compete again."