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Despite the chill in the air, it has been an exciting and productive period for the Scarborough College Surf Academy. With two brilliant trips away, pupils have been able to build their confidence and develop their skills in the water, all without dipping a single fin in the North Sea!
Over the half term break, twelve students from Year 7 through to Year 13 jetted off to Fuerteventura for a week of warm-weather training. Blessed with far more favourable conditions than the Scarborough Coast in February, the group were able to focus on refining technique and building confidence in different surf scenarios – such as surfing over a reef. The consistency of the waves was brilliant for progression, with students able to push themselves and see real improvements across the week.
The trip was not limited to surfing alone. Pupils also took part in surf skating sessions in the nearby town of Corralejo – skills which help to develop balance and board control on land. A highlight of the week was an afternoon sailing on a catamaran to Los Lobos Island, still managing to fit in a surf on a different part of the coast.
Closer to home, the Academy visited The Wave, Bristol, in mid-March for a two-day training experience. Here, students made full use of the facility’s cutting-edge approach to surf development. In addition to time in the wave pool, pupils were able to access video analysis sessions and further surf skate training, enabling them to break down and look at how they can improve their technique.
The artificial wave provides a consistent, repeatable environment is ideal for practising specific manoeuvres and fine-tuning individual skills. The experience was invaluable, and students are now looking forward to next term in the North Sea, showing off the skills they have been fine tuning over the winter sessions.
This article was first published in the Easter edition of The Owl, which can be viewed here