British Juniors knuckle down to prepare for Brazilian surf

The British Junior Surf Team continues their off season training regime with a get together this weekend under the watchful eye of fitness coach Glen Eldridge. The World Surfing Games take place in Brazil this May at the start of the surf season, and so an extensive programme has been organised to prepare the Team to peak during the week long event, also known as the Olympics of surfing.

Water temperatures are a chilly 9 - 10 degrees C in the main surfing areas of the Southwest of England and South Wales at the moment and air temperatures have been as low as minus 4 but that hasn't stopped Team members from practising for the championships. Last week Lyndon Wake and training partner Kathleen Spears surfed their local beach Croyde twice as well as fitting in a busy school day. "We got up at six and were ready at the waters edge waiting for it to get light." Says the enthusiastic Wake. "We only had time for about an hour in the water before we had to get out to catch the school bus at eight." After school there was another chance to ride some waves before it got dark, "Putting on a cold, wet wetsuit can be hard sometimes but it's worth it." He told me.

The lack of daylight for those needed hours of practise in the sea has meant that every surfer in the Team has been given a programme of cross training to keep them on their toes.

Unfortunately the enthusiasm of the Team has not been matched by potential sponsors as the British Surfing Association (BSA), the national governing body for the sport in Britain - which is entirely without governmental support - looks to raise funds to send the Team. "once again it looks as so we're going to have to ask individuals in the team to chip in for the privilege of representing their country at the games" Said Karen Walton the national Director of the BSA.