Twickenham RC Sweeps European Honours

Twickenham Surf Rowers

Not content with competing at Henley, Women’s Henley and the National Championships, a hardcore element from Twickenham Rowing Club pushed themselves one stroke further to compete against some of the top crews in the world at the European Surf Boat Championships in Biarritz, France last weekend.

Four crews from Twickenham flew across to compete at the event – Twickenham Tridents, Twickenham Exiles (mens), Twicks Chicks and Magenta Magic (womens) with the Twickenham Tridents bagging silverware by using their full suit of weaponry to claim an impressive second place in the Mens European Surfboat Championships Open Event beating an impressive 36 crews. The winning crew were: Rich Saunders, Mike Dowell, Jools Whitehorn, Justin Scholes.  The Open event contained entries from across the world and the crew lost out to a well respected Piha Pistols from New Zealand who had travelled a long way to claim the spoils and deservedly took the title. 

Mike Dowell, Captain of the Twickenham Tridents said ‘Today has been an unbelievable experience and to finish second against such quality competition is a huge honour. Some of the best surf boaters and Olympic rowers in the world are here today and Twickenham has shown it can mix it with the best.’

Twickenham in Surf 

Twickenham Rowing Club had a huge hand in the organisation of the event and Corinne Meadmore-Berset and Richard Meadmore took on the main organisational roles for the event working alongside many people from South West England, Australia and France to deliver an event which with further support will be held for years to come.

Emma Jones, a member of the women’s team said that ‘Surf boating is something new and different that we can offer our members.  I have competed for Wales and having undertaken British trials for rowing I couldn’t help thinking there was something more fun and exciting out there for us extreme water babies – surf boating offers that. Plus the chance to spend part of the year on the UK and now European beaches. 

The biggest prize I think we can all take away from the event is the sense of community you get from this sport.  We have made friends from across the world this week and look forward to building on our good name and most importantly taking our eye-catching magenta kit to the beaches of the UK and beyond.’

For more information about Surf boating at TwRC and the European Championships, please contact:
Emma Jones
tel no: 07814 183317
email: [email protected]

About Twickenham Rowing Club:
Established in 1860, Twickenham RC is located on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham. The Club produces competitive racing crews for both sexes at junior, senior and veteran levels and offers excellent coaching and training programmes throughout the year, as well as off-water facilities including gym, rowing machines, rowing tank, showers and bar.  For more information about the Club visit www.twickenhamrc.net