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