Take 150 rowers, add three feet of rolling surf spiced by a strong cross-onshore breeze, season with barefaced cheek, throw in the occasional back-shoot and roll-over and you have all the ingredients you need for that classic dish: The UK Open Surfboat Championships, held this year on Devon’s north coast at Saunton Sands on Saturday 28 July.

The weekend’s events began – as all good weekends should – shortly after lunch on Friday afternoon. Of the 36 teams entered (25 men’s and 11 women’s) roughly a third hailed from flat water rowing clubs, meaning there was an obvious need for the debutants to be shown the ropes and given basic safety instruction.

The likes of Molesey, Cambridge CCAT, Marlow, Nottingham and Plymouth could all have been forgiven for having serious second thoughts as the teaching session had to be transferred from the coast to the still waters of Instow. The ten-foot high rolling walls of white water surging into the contest area caused many jaws to drop at the prospect of what race day could bring.

The river racers made their first appearance at the Champs last year and it was immediately clear what had been the most striking experience. “Do I need to wedge up yet?” asked one novice, referring to the practice of moving Speedo or costume from where it might rub as bottom slides on fixed seat. The sweep (steersman) to whom the question was directed managed a patient smile: “We normally wait until the boat’s off the trailer.”

No amount of practice, however, can fully prepare for the real thing and there was more than a frisson of trepidation in the air as the crews assembled at the beach on Saturday morning. The wind had dropped overnight and with it the swell. The waves were still head height though, and packed a punch, promising a proper surfboat competition, with qualities such as courage and commitment tested every bit as much as technique and timing. Main sponsors AussieBum must have been delighted with the conditions, for this would be a day to linger long in the memory.

"The waves packed a punch, promising a proper surfboat competition, with qualities such as courage and commitment tested every bit as much as technique and timing... "

There were three rounds of five heats in the men’s event. The top 12 boats then contested two semi-final heats with the top three crews in each semi going through to the final. In the women’s section, there were also three rounds but the six best teams progressed to a straight final. Given the conditions, it meant a lot of rowing.

It didn’t take long for the benefit of experience, as enjoyed by the established surfboat crews, to make itself apparent. The key to rowing a 200kg boat out through breaking surf is to keep forward momentum at all times. That’s easier said than done, especially when a six-foot high wave lands squarely in the boat.

Veteran sweep, Nick Beringer, returned to shore with a cheeky grin on his chiselled features. Having won a World Championship title in heaving triple-overhead surf in South Africa, it wasn’t difficult to imagine what had transpired. The four members of his male crew were sodden, but beaming, as if they had just won the Lottery. When asked for his thoughts, one of them – who shall remain nameless – could only manage a one word reply. It was a word that, had his mother heard it, would have earned him a slap on the legs and an early dispatch to bed without his tea.

Then it was the turn of the women. Cat Lusty rowed for the Molesey Pirates: “I was really nervous and excited before the start but it was just such a massive adrenaline rush. I’ve never seen waves like that on the Thames!”

As the afternoon progressed, so the skies darkened and the wind dropped. With the tide pushing, the waves began to clean up, making for bigger hits going out and steeper drops on the way back in. The St Agnes Birds did the first back-shoot of the day. Smacked by a set wave as they paddled out, sweep Steve Instance was thrown overboard. His crew hung on grimly as the boat careered backwards to shore, by some miracle, staying upright. Worse was to follow.

In one of the last women’s heats, Sian David from Llantwit Majorettes fell awkwardly as the boat approached the beach. Her crewmates signalled for help immediately and the RNLI lifeguards, who had been a reassuring presence all day, were straight on the scene. The stricken rower was carried carefully up the beach and fitted to a spinal board before being taken away for assessment. Mercifully, no serious injury was done and Sian was able to enjoy a recuperative drink later that night.

The start of the first men’s semi-final coincided with the arrival of the forecast rain, but it did nothing to dampen spirits. The conditions remained challenging but every crew knew that meant they had a chance of making the final. It also meant that defeat could be rowed out of victory’s jaws as Twickenham’s JT’s Pussies discovered. Catching a wave to the beach, the Australian crew seemed assured of second or third place in the heat and a berth in the final only for their boat to slew sideways and roll over; chance gone. On such fine margins do surfboat’s capricious gods decide a carnival’s winners and losers.

In the second semi, Molesey Marauders lost out on a place in the final by little more than a canvas after a desperate sprint up the beach to the finishing flags. It was an outstanding effort by the Marauders – who placed ahead of several surf clubs – and gave a clear hint of what could be possible with more experience and practice.

The finals were tense affairs. In the women’s event, both Perranporth’s Rebel Angels and the Twickenham Sheilas (ably led by the only female sweep on display, Kristy Hamilton) took big hits on the way out. It was, however, the run back to the beach that was to prove decisive. The Angel’s sweep, Pete Gaisford, found his crew a solid wave but kept them in their seats so they could resume rowing as soon as it petered out between the sandbanks. Bow Anita Adams flew into the run and, powered up the beach by her crewmates’ exhortations, she touched the flag first to retain the title.

In the men’s event, it came down to a straight fight between the Twickenham Exiles (an Australian crew) and Porthtowan’s Blue Bali, the two leading boats of the summer series. Ahead at the turning buoys, the Blue’s sweep, John Richards, made no mistake on the way home to cue huge celebrations in the Cornish camp. “Before the final, I’d highlighted the importance of our start, turn and finish. I thought our rowing would see us through if we got the other bits right as we’re used to rough conditions,” he said. “I’m really pleased, not just for the four who rowed, but for the whole boat team as they all worked really hard for this success.”

Racing finished, the boaties turned their attention to the other matter for which they are rightly renowned; a quiet drink or two with friends. When the pub’s doors were locked at the midnight hour, if there was still beer in the taps, it wasn’t from lack of effort. A great night to finish off a great day – what surfboat racing is all about.  

"Boaties are the same the world over – they know they are the finest and boldest of athletes. Everyone else knows they are an oar’s width short of certifiable... "