A STATEMENT BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BRITISH SURFING ASSOCIATION
Since the election in July 2010, various matters have come to light which have given the incoming Executive concerns about the true financial situation of the BSA. Having taken advice from Insolvency Practitioners RogersEvans, the Executive has concluded that the BSA Ltd is insolvent, and has taken steps to put BSA Ltd into liquidation.
Notices are being sent out today (22 December 2010) by the Insolvency Practitioners RogersEvans to invite all current BSA members to a Members’ Meeting at 11am on Wednesday 19th January 2011 at the Carlton Hotel, Falmouth Road, Truro. This will be followed at 12 noon by a meeting of the company’s creditors.
A report prepared by the Liquidator will be available at that meeting and will give a full statement of affairs of BSA Ltd, including the reasons for the company’s failure.
For those BSA members who are unable to attend the meeting on 19 January, the Liquidator’s report will be posted on the BSA website at 11am on the same day.
THE FUTURE OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNING BODY
The new Executive has acted with a view to safeguarding the future development of British surfing. We believe that rather than just trying to wallpaper over the cracks of the BSA, a clean and decisive break and a new start is the best way of creating a firm foundation for the long-term future of our sport.
For this reason, we have set up a new company limited by guarantee, which, with the support of Sport England, is to become the new National Governing Body (NGB) for surfing in Great Britain. It will also be a Registered Charity. The new governing body will be operational from 1 January 2011 and will be called Surfing GB.Aims to be the credible and effective national governing body for surfing in Great Britain. It will be accountable and transparent, and a model of good corporate governance and employment practice. It will provide a firm foundation on which to rebuild the reputation and credibility of surfing’s national governing body, regionally, nationally and internationally, for the future. It will work with the federations of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the Channel Islands to create a strong, efficient and dynamic national administrative structure for surfing. It will re-engage with the regions to build a strong regional infrastructure for the development of grassroots surfing. It will restore the credibility and value of the national governing body ‘brand’ for the accreditation of teaching and coaching qualifications and quality assurance of accredited surf schools. It will work in partnership to continue to improve the quality of domestic competition, and to promote British surfing on the European and world stage.
Surfing GBSurfing
With the liquidation of the BSA Ltd, any assets will be distributed to its creditors, which means that Surfing GB has to start from scratch with an empty bank account. We are already in negotiation with funding bodies and sponsors, but in most cases, hard cash will not be forthcoming until the start of the new financial year in April.
This is where you, members of the BSA, and the British surfing community can help us. We can confirm that all BSA members’ current third party insurance cover will continue until January 31 2011 during the NGB’s transition from the BSA to Surfing GB. We urge anyone whose BSA membership is due to expire on or after January 19 2011 to transfer their membership to Surfing GB at the earliest opportunity. Don’t leave it to ‘wait and see’ – Surfing GB needs your support. We will be announcing membership packages and subscription rates in the New Year.
Whilst Surfing GB is a new organisation, we want to make sure that as a National Governing Body we provide continuity of membership benefits for former BSA members, as well as encouraging new members to join the new body. For this reason, our intention is that all memberships already paid to the BSA, and all benefits under those existing memberships, will continue to be provided through Surfing GB until their renewal date. For example, if you renewed your BSA membership in October 2010, it will remain valid with Surfing GB until October 2011.
We urge anyone who cares about the future of British surfing and wants now to help build a strong national governing body for the sport – one which will speak up loudly and strongly, as a campaigning, lobbying and advocacy voice for surfing and for surfers, and work tirelessly to bring funding and investment into surfing – to join Surfing GB and give the new NGB your support. It’s time to work for the future, not against the past.
22.12.2010
Surfing GB is an entirely new organisation, and not just the BSA under a different name.You can check fully at this is the new governing body for British National Surfing.
THE 2009 VOLKSWAGEN BRITISH NATIONAL SURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS, IN ASSOCIATION WITH QUIKSILVER AND FISTRAL BEACH BAR
The event was run over the course of the weekend in beautiful weather and 2-4ft waves, with over 100 competitors competing for the prestigious titles of British champion in Open,Seniors, Masters, Veterans,Ladies and Stand up paddle board.
This was the first year that stand-up paddle boarding, an offshoot of surfing rapidly growing in popularity, was incorporated into the event, and Swansea’s Chris Griffiths took the title in fine style on the Saturday.
The waves increased in size overnight and spectators were treated to a feast of surfing in blazing sunshine as the event reached its climax on Sunday.
I have to say that it is so good to see that British masters surfing is really on the up with the likes of Steve Winter,Jonathan Owen, Spencer Hargraves and Chris Grifiths all coming back into the mix,it can only add to such an outstanding event. Team selection for the next ISA World Masters is going to get tough.
In the first of the late afternoon finals, Newquay’s Jed Stone put in a typically rock solid performance to claim yet another Veteran’s title, taking his tally of British titles to 18.
The women’s division was won by Anglo –Australian Sarah Beardmore, But she was pushed to the wire by Swansea’s Beth Mason in an enthralling final in which Jo Dennison, also from Wales, and Bundoran‘s Nicole Morgan also shone.
Newquay’s Joff Owen, who had travelled from his adopted Canaries to participate,put in a journeyman performance to take the seniors title ahead of Lee Griffin. Joff also put in a solid showing to take third in the Masters final, but had to take a back seat in this one to legends of British surfing Spencer Hargraves and Lee Bartlett, both from Newquay, who went hammer and tong right ‘til the buzzer. In the end Hargraves’ brute force on the bomb sets just got the nod over Bartlett’s lightning fast shredding on the smaller, cleaner waves.
The open finalists hit the water with high tide fast approaching and the fading 2-3 ft waves ruffled by northerly cross-chop. Anglo-Australian Reubin Pearce put himself in a commanding position early on with a series of searing turns on an increasingly rare solid wall, but a decent back-up eluded him. Mark Harris and Andrew Griffin, both of Newquay, also struggled for rhythm as the previously workable rights either backed off or closed out, finishing in 3rd and 4th respectively.
Reubyn Ash read the script and headed south, where the shorter but sucker lefts allowed him to get busy with his now polished new school act
It takes something special to earn a 7.5 for one manoeuvre, but with five minutes to go and the heat in the balance, that’s just what Ash did. Racing down the line and using the approaching chop as a springboard, Ash pulled an aerial that had the Fistral Beach Bar peanut gallery rubbing their eyes and looking quizzically at their drinks.
Joanne Hillman of the British Surfing Association said: "The event was a great success and the level of surfing, especially by some of the new school surfers at low tide on the Sunday, was fantastic to watch. I'd like to say a big thank you Volkswagen, Quiksilver and Fistral Beach Bar for their generous sponsorship, to all the competitors for putting on a great show, and to all the staff who helped with the smooth running of the event.”
Stand Up...1. Chris Griffiths 2. Tim Mellors 3. Adam Zervas 4. Gareth Grant
over 45,s....Veterans... 1 .Jed Stone 2. Gary Collins 3. Tony Good 4. No show
over 35,s....Masters...1. Spencer Hargraves 2. Lee Barlet 3. Joff Owen 4. Roger Knight
over28,s....Seniors... 1 Joff Owen 2. Lee Griffin 3. Lee Barlett 4. Sean Harris
Womens...1. Sarah Beardmore 2. Beth Mason .3 Jo Dennison 4. Nicole Morgan
Open...1. Ruebyn Ash 2. Ruebyn Pearce 3. Mark Harris 4. Andrew Griffin
