Brewery boost for Cornish surfers

l Members of Cornwall’s surf team pictured at Gwithian Towans, west Cornwall, with (centre) Steve Skinner, of principal sponsor Skinners Brewery

July 17, 2006: Boosted by another vote of confidence from the sponsor who rescued them last year, Cornwall’s Surf Team are gearing up for a starring role in an international tournament on home territory later this month.

The team won the 2003 surf championship in the Inter-Celtic Water Sports Festival in Brittany, but could not defend their title in Galicia, Spain, a year later because of the notorious difficulty in attracting sponsorship for participation in overseas events.

Truro-based Skinners Brewery stepped in last year with £1,000 that enabled the Cornish team to take part in the festival at Gijon in northern Spain. A dozen members flew out to win the longboard division and finish fifth overall in the tournament’s surfing championship.

Now Skinners have agreed to repeat the support gesture and will once again be principal sponsor for the team in the 2006 tournament surfing championship, which takes place at Gwithian Towans, near Hayle, from July 24 to 29.

This year the team will be “twice as strong and twice as good,” says team manager Minnow Green.

“We will have 24 members taking part and the Skinners sponsorship will be invaluable in paying for such things as our entry fees, the camping site, tee shirts and travel from all over Cornwall for our members.”

Team captain is one of Britain’s biggest surfing names of them all, ex-British champion Spencer Hargreaves, of Newquay, and Cornwall will be competing in the under 14s, under 16s and under 18s divisions plus the open, seniors, ladies, longboard, bodyboard and masters.

Skinners Brewery managing director Steve Skinner said: “We are delighted to be able to support Cornwall in this way. We have long been admirers of the Cornish team’s achievements and will be joining everyone else in a special cheer for them in their home waters.”