Cornwall's Surf Capital

When people think of Cornwall, many things spring to mind: pasties, beaches, and most commonly, surfing. But not many people are aware of how surfing came to be such a phenomenon in the South-West. The Sixties saw a major increase in travel and tourism, especially for the beautiful coastal towns of Cornwall. Newquay, along the North Coast of Cornwall, particularly thrived in the Sixties, aided by the sudden popularity of surfing. Upon the arrival of Australian lifeguards to the town in the early 1960s, the ocean-based sport found a new and inviting home. These lifeguards were credited with drastically reducing the fatalities on Newquay's beaches; not only this, they added excitement to the traditional British holiday scene. The former editor of CARVE Surfing Magazine, Chris Power, stated that the Australians inspired thousands of young people to take up the sport. Young people, local and or not, were enthusiastic to match the skill they saw the Aussies perform out in the water. Some people may wonder why Newquay became the Cornish epicentre of surfing brilliance. The answer is quite simple. The famous Fistral and Watergate beaches had near-ideal surfing conditions, especially in the summer months, so, therefore, were popular sites for young cohorts to surf. In addition to this, it is important to note that in the Sixties, tourism became a major industry in Cornwall as a whole. Cornwall's once-thriving mining and fishing industries were starting to decline due to the increase in foreign imports. This meant that tourism emerged as the way forward if the Cornish economy was to be maintained. Cornwall as a county offers something that no other place in the UK does - a laid back attitude towards life, as well as the gorgeous beaches. There is no denying that this surge of popularity for surfing in Cornwall, subsequently led to surfing becoming a popular beach activity across the nation. The famous band, the Beach Boys, promoted the surfer lifestyle during this decade, just encouraging more people to take to the waves. Newquay's surfing culture soon reached national and international prominence; this legacy has only grown since the Sixties. As a result of this, the National Surfing Centre Surf School found its home in Newquay; additionally, the largest surf, skate and music festival in Europe, Rip Curl Boardmasters, also takes place in Newquay each year. As it's clear to see, Newquay's surfing culture was a major driving force behind the expanding popularity of surfing in the UK. Who would have thought that a small group of Australian lifeguards, had the ability to unconsciously change the course of Cornish history? - Angel Barber Further Reading: https://www.cornishwave.com/surfing-in-newquay-the-history/ tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17460263.2011.554720?needAccess=true https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/newquay/newquay_beaches.htm https://www.visitnewquay.org/explore/history-of-newquay https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/24/surfing-anniversary-cornwall-devon https://www.pentirehotelnewquay.co.uk/blog/newquay+surf+a+brief+history+of+the+uk’s+surf+city_32