TWO teenage surfers will fly the flag for Scotland at the European Surfing Championships this summer.
Ebon Parkin and Annie Herd are part of the 12-strong squad that will head to Portugal in July.
The skilful surfers were selected by the Scottish Surfing Federation, who were on the lookout for the most promising juniors in the country.
Fifteen-year-old Ebon is a member of the junior development team, which is run in partnership by Coast to Coast Surf School and the newly established Belhaven Surf Club.
The new club aims to develop surfing in the local community with the aim of creating elite surfers who will compete at a national and international level.
Ebon, who is in S4 at Dunbar Grammar School, will compete in the under-16 boys’ event.
He took up surfing about nine years ago and his mum Kirsty said: “I think he is just delighted to be recognised – he loves surfing.
“He has a real affinity with the water and he finds it exhilarating and sort of mindful.
“He gets both ends of the spectrum.
“To be recognised after entering the competitive surfing circuit, he just finds that quite exciting really and the potential for it.”
The teenager impressed in the Scottish Junior Series in the under-16 section and finished second overall after starring at Thurso, Fraserburgh and Pease Bay.
Dad Dan described his son as “a water baby” and highlighted that he had been taken to the swimming pool when he was just weeks old.
Since then, Ebon, along with his younger brother Ansell, have embraced the outdoors and the water at Belhaven.
Meanwhile, Annie, of Dirleton, is part of Edinburgh and Borders Surf Club, a well-known, long-established club based in the Capital.
The 15-year-old started surfing a few years ago and was delighted to be named in the Scotland squad for the under-16 girls’ category.
The North Berwick High School pupil said: “I surf locally, mainly along the east coast, anywhere that’s working from Gullane Beach down to Pease Bay.
“I am over the moon to be part of the Scottish squad.
“I have never surfed abroad before.
“Summer surfing holidays are usually in the Inner Hebrides with family.”
The duo will be joined at the competition in Portugal by Edinburgh’s Finn Clark, with other team-mates from the north of Scotland.
The Edinburgh and Borders Surf Club member will represent Scotland in the under-18 category.
Both surf clubs will be jointly hosting a surf competition in May at Pease Bay, part of the Scottish Surfing Federation Junior Series, before a training camp is held in Tiree the following month.
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