Thurso getting a World reputation?

O’Neill Europe and the Association of Surfing Professionals, Europe will be taking the World Qualifying Series (WQS) on the high road to Scotland this coming April for the 5-star O’Neill Highland Open. Between the 25th April – 2nd May 2006, 168 of the world’s most up and coming surfers will make WQS history as they march towards mainland Scotland’s northernmost coast to compete in this landmark event.
The host wave for the Highland Open is the fabled Thurso East. Lying at 59° degrees north, Thurso will be the most Northern wave spot on the planet to host a professional surfing event. Likened by some to a coldwater Nias in Sumatra, Thurso is one of the most consistent spots on the British Isles, renowned for dishing up long, winding right-hand tubes that spin off the flat, kelp covered reef. But scoring Scotland’s prize wave comes at a cost as the peaty brown water in the river mouth barely rises above a bone-chilling 8 - 10°c. This is serious wetsuit territory.


more to be read about it here

A couple of years ago I was sitting on a bus headed into Reading. There were a couple of ladies sitting in the seat behind me, discussing their forthcoming holidays. One of them was saying that she and her hubbie would be going to their usual surfing mecca... in Thurso.

My ears picked up at this and I listened intently to the conversation - I now, nosey, aren't I? However, I do feel that I had just cause. After a while my curiosity got the better of me and I introduced myself. Having lived in Thurso and never known surfing there I just had to find out.

It seems that Thurso is as you claim - considered to be one of the best places in the UK for quality surfing. Well, I was gob-smacked, as they say down here!:Razz

In my young days, long before surfing came to Thurso, I spent some time in Australia, never surfed myself, but spent many pleasant hours on the beaches watching the surfers. The first thing I noticed was the waves, and remembering my home in Thurso, remarked that we had far better and deeper waves in the north of Scotland, but nobody believed me at the time.

Changed days now, eh!!

I worked in Australia for a while and Thurso is well known amongst the surfing community there. I was actually speaking to an Aussie in Abu Dhabi last week and he was waxing lyrical about the great surf in Thurso.