Betteridge and Gillespie crowned English National Surfing Champions

Belle Betteridge and Fynn Gillespie have been crowned Open champions at the 2026 Caravan and Motorhome Club English National Surfing Championships.

The event, organised by Surfing England, saw competitors battle through changing conditions, with organisers pushing through an early schedule to make the most of cleaner waves before winds strengthened later in the day.

In the men’s final, Fynn Gillespie secured victory with a combined score of 15.50 after a closely fought contest. The heat featured an early setback for his brother, Heath Gillespie, who lost a fin and was forced to paddle in before rejoining the action.

Fynn capitalised on the opportunity, producing what was described as the “barrel of the day” before holding off a late challenge from South Africa’s Asbjorn Gwenin, who pushed the final to the closing moments.

The women’s final proved equally competitive. Willow Smith led early on with a score of 5.33, but Belle Betteridge surged ahead in the latter stages with rides scoring 4.83 and 6.00 to take the title.

Emily Currie, the reigning 2025 longboard champion, returned to compete in the shortboard division and finished third, while Sunny Ingram placed fourth.

Earlier in the day, Sam Harwood posted the highest score of the opening round with a combined 11.60, as heats were run across multiple peaks to maintain momentum ahead of worsening conditions.

Among the notable performances, Isaac Friend reached the quarter-finals while marking his 100th consecutive day of surfing in 2026, part of a year-long challenge to raise money for BBC Children in Need.

Organisers said the standard across both finals highlighted the depth of talent in English surfing, with strong performances pointing towards a promising season ahead.

Results

Women’s Open

1. Belle Betteridge
2. Willow Smith
3. Emily Currie
4. Sunny Ingram

Men’s Open

1. Fynn Gillespie
2. Asbjorn Gwenin
3. Reen Bowden-Inoue
4. Heath Gillespie