The first-ever European Rapid Surf Championship officially got underway on Thursday at OANA in Ebikon, Switzerland, bringing together 78 athletes from eight nations for a historic edition of the European Surfing Federation’s newest championship.

The official opening ceremony marked the start of the competition, with Ruth Metzler, President of Swiss Olympic, Jean-Luc Arassus, President of the European Surfing Federation, and Jeroen David Kuijer, Event President, welcoming the participating athletes and officially opening the championship.

Organised by Swiss Surfing on behalf of the European Surfing Federation, the event features six categories: Open Men, Open Women, Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Master Men and Master Women. Qualification rounds began on Thursday and continue through Friday, with athletes battling for their place in the finals.

Rapid Surfing brings together elements of traditional surfing with the fast-paced nature of standing-wave surfing, with athletes performing a combination of manoeuvres and tricks on the artificial wave at OANA. The judging criteria focus on Commitment, Variety and Execution, providing the framework for the competition.

Saturday, 26 September, will mark the decisive day of the championship. The final rounds will take place from 17:00, with the first-ever European Rapid Surf Champions set to be crowned across the six categories.