| The club was formed over 8 years ago. It was formed out of the frustration at seeing
other sports getting tours all around the world, and the surfers going nowhere. This
frustration triggered CPO Dave"the-wave" Burr and PO's Shay Bowen & "Spud" Murphy into
action. After a meeting in a Helston pub the fledgling Navy surf club was formed.
Although at first it was primarily a Navy club, interest was soon expressed by some "Royals"
and rather than forming two separate clubs the RN/RM Surfing Association was formed.
At this
time the club was limited to contests, holding about three a year, but the idea of holding
expeds was still being nurtured.
During this period some of the club members trained as surfing coaches with the BSA and soon we
were holding our first beginners weekends. These have gone to become one of the more popular
events that the club holds and are always over subscribed. Apart from our own contests the club soon started entering the BSA inter clubs contest with mixed results, as the team always suffered with key people being drafted to sea. However a very creditable forth place in 1999 gained the club an invite to the European Inter Clubs in Hourtin, France. Coincidentally this was to be the first year that the club would run a foreign exped. A trip to France was planned for March for about twelve members. Although there was a great deal of interest shown in the trip, as usual due to drafting and movements the group picked itself as interested parties fell by the wayside. Eventually two van loads of Sailors and Marines headed south for Biarritz and good waves. The luck was certainly with them on that trip as the group got to surf everyday with the surf rarely dropping below 4ft. The highlight being Guthary at 6-8 ft and Biscarrose on the first day at 6ft plus. This was a trip that would be hard to match. The following year the club held two expeds, one to France and one to San Diego, California. 2001 Saw the club continue to grow with more beginners weekends and contests. The club also entered the British Inter Clubs Longboard contest. and the year became one of consolidation for the club, with the club growing and holding events far and wide, the club has reigned back on it's activities for the year ready for our 10 year centenary in 2002. However this does not mean it's all quiet on the club scene. Contests and Beginners weekends are planned for the year but there was no official exped (However a quick trip to Thurso was held, see separate web article). Although it was not possible to hold a centenary event for the club due to service commitments, the club did hold its most ambitious exped so far. This was a trip to Hawaii !!!!!!! Yet again there was a great deal of interest and a lot of names put forward for this exped but again (Mainly due to OP Fresco) many people dropped out resulting in the reserve list being scoured for available personnel. But finally an intrepid group had what was probably the surf trip of their lives (See article coming soon) 2003 Saw the club continue to grow and before the year was out we were informed that surfing had finally achieved full recognition as a sport across all three services So if you like the sound of what you've read and want to be part of it, either send in a completed membership form or contact one of the committee members for further information. |