Six teams, 60 surfers, sunshine, great waves and a beach full of cheering spectators made the Manorbier Inclusive Tag-Team Shootout on Saturday, October 3 a celebration of everything that is special about Pembrokeshire’s surfing community. After a two-week postponement due to poor weather, the competition returned to Manorbier in glorious autumn sunshine, with 2–3ft waves and an incredible atmosphere both in and out of the water. Organised by Blue Horizons Coastal Adventures CIC, alongside experienced surf competition organisers, the event brought together surfers of all ages and abilities. Beginners, experienced surfers, children, local surfing legends and adaptive surfers competed side by side in six mixed-ability teams, with every surfer’s contribution counting towards their team’s result. Different ages, different abilities, different ways of surfing, but one team. While the surfing was fantastic, some of the most memorable moments came from the people taking part. During the presentations, Gail Evans, who won the Most Stoked award, spoke movingly about how surfing had saved her life and given her hope following a brain injury. The brother of Phil Tee (Tex) shared how Phil, once a keen surfer, had finally got his life back after being unable to access the sea for around 20 years following a stroke. Phil went on to receive the Hardest Charger trophy. Another young competitor, aged 13, who first joined Blue Horizons four years ago, proudly competed alongside everyone else. She enjoyed the experience so much that she declared she wanted to keep entering the competition until she was 90! Blue Horizons founders Ollie Bird and Emma-Mary Webster said: “These are the moments that remind us why we do what we do. For some people, surfing is about having fun and making friends. For others, it can mean rebuilding confidence, rediscovering independence or getting back a part of their life they thought they’d lost forever. “Seeing everyone competing together, encouraging each other and genuinely belonging to the same surfing community is exactly what we hoped this event would achieve.”
