The European FlowRider Championship 2011 is to take place on Saturday 10th September at FlowHouse Bedford.
Hopefully this year it won’t get changed to Cornwall. Really looking forward to this. I’ve already sent off my entry form!!!! Hoping my son and daughter will follow suit.
They did:)
We are going to be so late for practice tonight:(
The European Championships were held at FlowHouse Bedford on Saturday 10th September 2011. There were 39 competitors in 5 divisions. It was so good to see junior divisions this year and would be even better to see a masters next year:) Competitors came from around the UK including Channel Isles, Newcastle, Cornwall, Bedford, Portsmouth and of course The Disleys from the North West. The rest of Europe was represented by competitors from France, Germany, Holland and Sweden.
The event was tinged with sadness due to the absence of Flowhouse instructor Brett Anthony who is in hospital after suffering serious injuries in a zip wire accident. Brett would have certainly been in the final 4:)
The Bedford junior boys certainly did Brett proud by taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in Jr FB and 1st place in Jr BB and the junior girls took 7th and 8th in Jr FB
The open bodyboard final was dominated by Cornwall instructor Gethin Walters who decided not to enter Flowboard this year to concentrate on bodyboarding. Gethin told me he has always wanted to go to South Africa and now he gets his wish. The Merton Hotel’s instructor Neil Harrison battled it out with Ben Stephen and Sam Butler and managed to take 2nd place. This was Neil’s first comp and he absolutely loved it.
Ladies Flowboard was won for the second year running by Cornwall instructor Morwenna Berry. The battle for 2nd, 3rd and 4th places was very close with Merton Hotels’ Jodie le Maistre narrowly beating Bedfords Ruby Ellam to take 2nd place. Very close behind Ruby was Dutch rider Claire Ladage. This was the first comp for Jodie, Ruby and Claire and also for Bedford rider Jenny Coleman and Newcastle instructor Lorraine Dodsworth.
Mens Flowboard was won by Bedford instructor Sam Butler who certainly gave last years winner Quincy Vlijtig a run for his money. 3rd place went to Dutch rider Max Walraven and 4th to Joonas Wikberg from Sweden.
Gethin, Morwenna and Sam all win tickets to the World Championships in Durban courtesy of freesport brand Animal and Quincy also wins a trip to Durban as the winner of The Flying Frenchman Rider Development Award. They will be competing against the worlds best and I wish them all lots of luck:)