McQueenies aim to ride crest of a wave all the way to Olympics

Tamzin and Owen McQueenie are currently in the Azores as the capital’s first ever athletes selected for a Scotland team to compete in the World Junior Surfing Championships.

Tamzin, 17, and 14-year-old brother Owen were selected for the team following their success at this year’s Scottish Championships in Thurso.

“We both feel privileged to have the opportunity to compete for our country and are delighted to have this experience,” said Tamzin, who finished third in a highly competitive field.

Owen was selected as reserve after also placing highly in the Scottish Championships and finishing runner-up in the Lowlands competition at  Belhaven.

Surfing runs deep in the McQueenie family. Their father, Martin, is a lifelong surfer who established the popular Momentum Surf School 20 years ago and he teaches around Scotland.

Martin will also be coach at the Junior World Championships for the Scottish team which also includes athletes from Tiree and Thurso.

It comes as no surprise to learn that the McQueenie siblings have been surfing for as long as they can remember.

“We both started surfing at Pease Bay when we were three years old and haven’t stopped since,” said Tamzin, who includes athletics, swimming and horse riding in her training for the sport.

“We surf whenever we can and there’s swell, and we tend to go down for a surf no matter the weather or the time of year.

“Firrhill High is very supportive towards us both and have given us the time off school. Everyone is delighted that we are having the opportunity to represent our  country.

“Many of our school friends want to learn how to surf and some have already been down once or twice to try it out.”

Scotland’s east coast may not carry the same exotic appeal as mainstream surf locations of Australia or Hawaii but Tamzin believes Scotland has the ideal beaches to reach a high level in the sport.

“Living in Edinburgh we only have to travel 30 to 45 minutes to be able to surf at beaches like Pease Bay, Belhaven or Coldingham – and they are all good beaches,” she said.

“And we also surf at Thurso where the waves and conditions are similar to what we are expecting in the Azores. But obviously the temperature is not quite so good.”

The number of people surfing in Scotland is on the rise and since the SSF reformed in 2005, junior participation has spiralled. Entering a Scotland team in next week’s World Junior Championships is a direct result of increased funding brought about after Scotland finished 16th in the 2014 World Championships.

The McQueenies spent most of the summer school holidays getting ready for the World Championships; their preparations including a fortnight in Cornwall, a week in Fraserburgh and a trip to Surf Snowdonia, the world’s first commercial artificial surfing lake.

When they reach the Azores the pair will have the opportunity to see how they stack up against some of the world’s best from Australia, Brazil and Hawaii.

Given that surfing will be included as part of the world’s biggest sporting event four years hence, the incentive to reach the highest levels just took a giant leap.

“The Olympics is definitely something we are aiming for and we look forward to what the future holds for us in surfing,” added Tamzin.