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TIREE WAVE CLASSIC 2026. THE INSIDE STORY: BY RUARAIDH SOMERVILLE

You’ve seen the pictures. You’ve watched the livestream. But what was it really like to live through the 2026 Tiree Wave Classic? Scottish ripper, Ruaraidh Somerville has a wonderful way with words and takes us behind the scenes of a week that delivered gale-force winds, brutal sessions, bashed up noses, World Cup glory and some unexpected twists and turns along the way. From taking on the wild Atlantic at Balephuil to battling the world’s best in crazy conditions at Balevullin, before an unforgettable British showdown at Crossapol, this is Tiree in all its wild, windswept glory. And somewhere along the way, a 16-year-old local lad announced himself as one to watch!

Words: Ruaraidh Somerville // Photos: John Carter // Click any photo to enlarge and scroll!

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INTO THE WILD

Ruaraidh Somerville: “The last fevered hours of the drive north, streaking into a blur as you see the signs for Oban loom closer. The ferry queue, cold, brisk, waiting for that fateful moment and seeing faces dearly missed, brothers in arms not seen for years past but remembered in an instant. The ferry itself, bright lights as you board and the smell of hot fried food kickstarting your body. Full Scottish breakfast, the shocked faces of international professionals as they tuck into Scotland’s finest and greasiest nourishment. The sky splits apart with the sunrise in the Sound of Mull, followed by sleep, short and frantic. Dreams are quickly replaced by klaxons and the rush to depart the boat as you reach the island itself, rough, green, desolate. Lashings of rain, the brisk chill straight to the bone of a northerly wind. A harsh reminder to competitors that this is the north, cold and unforgiving.

Before the event can kick off fully, gale force winds and a monumental swell hit the island’s rocky coastline. The rushed chatter of where to sail, to take caution and head for sheltered beaches or to take the storm head on. I chose the latter, squared my shoulders and took to Balephuil beach for the confrontation. The choice, right or wrong, brought entertainment to a few comrades huddled on the beach. Nerve-wracking split seconds under the lip, staring into the pit of hefty closeouts sections.

Overpowered on my 3.1m sail, I backed down and gave up the chance for my hero moment. The ocean beat me. James Cox joined me on the water, followed by local youth Eddie Maclean, 6x world champion Philip Koster, and UK legend Sam Neal. As the tide dropped, the rain backed off and the waves shrank, each sailor pushed the other to up our game. Laughter, shaky and delirious, followed. A good session. At war with the elements, few fireworks but the kind of session that Coxy said “would put hairs on the palms of your hand”. The others sailed Crossapol. Smaller, more shreddable. The wiser choice. We begged to differ, and friendly competition ensued.

More warm up sessions followed in the days after, high wind, good waves. Big moves from the big guys. Sandblasted cars and carparks filled with cold but stoked sailors, a few beers cracked, smiling faces as friends celebrated annual reunions on and off the water. Mass speculation on Tiree’s return to the World Tour. Blanket statements as to Pare and Koster being unbeatable. Rumours of other big names coming out of the woodwork. In the end, Miguel Chapuis, Marino Gil, last year’s winner Dieter Van Der Eyken, former ladies champion Justyna Sniady Pare, Koster, and Ben Proffitt would be the cream of the crop who ventured to Tiree in pursuit of the sword. All but one would return home disappointed. The first comp day was windy and messy, good quality starboard tack but not memorable in itself. A seeding round, to lay the land for Big Wednesday ahead.

BIG WEDNESDAY: NO ROOM FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED!

All eyes turned to Balevullin as Wednesday’s call was made for the event to begin in full. Well groomed lines, but too much wind. 3.7s and smaller rigged flat, small boards dusted off. Young Peter Gobisch of PWA juniors fame was the first to try, showing that the conditions were doable. Pare followed, putting on a school. Spectators doubled down on the belief that Pare would claim the sword again, putting him closer to his third world title. I was knocked out early on, along with much of the British fleet. James Cox, spurred on by his success against the elements in the admittedly heavier session at Balephuil a few days earlier, went big. His chosen waves gave him a broken nose, a bloody face, but not the scores he needed to make it to the final. The people’s champ perhaps, but not the event’s.

A NEW NAME ON THE SWORD!

The top 4 would ultimately be Proffitt, Pare, Miguel and Marino. Koster lost to Marino in the first real “upset” of the day, if one of the world’s most talented young windsurfers beaten one of his closest competitors can really be called an upset. Proffitt’s slew of past victories, including winning the Masters fleet just the day before, put him in good stead to make it so far against the world’s finest, but in the end Pare would beat him. Proffitt 4th, Pare stepping onto the podium. But the young guns would take the top spots, with Miguel throwing huge rotations into gnarly sections breaking just shy of the rocks to take his maiden World Cup victory. His first sword, and his first World Tour win. Many on the beach were surprised at the result. To those in the know about the young Spaniard’s skill, it seemed only a matter of time.

In the women’s, Justyna would lose early, and PWA newcomers Frida and Emma Miron would take second and third in some of the windiest conditions of the day, while the UK’s Cori McFarlane would take fourth. This left Izzy Adcock, UK tour legend, to shred her way to the top spot holding a sword taller than herself.

ONE LAST ROUND, THEN THE BEERS!

As the dust settled on the world tour event, the gales would back off and smooth, clean lines would roll into Tiree’s south coast, on Crossapol beach. Bathed in sunlight, the scene was set for the UK tour’s showdown, a Brits only day to shake up the rankings of the tour. Starboard tack, 4.5 to 5.0 weather, head to logo high down the line, plenty of chargers ready to prove themselves after some early losses to the world’s best windsurfers just the day before. From the beginning, the event shaped up to be a good one. Local boy Eddie Maclean, just 16, stormed his way to the finals with a strong performance. Proffitt too, unstoppable in the event he’d won so many times before. Big names like Andy Bubble Chambers, Ben Page, and Dave Horrocks losing out on the final, a four-man affair rounded out by James Cox, and yours truly, Ruaraidh Somerville. For myself, Crossapol has been my stomping ground for a decade. For Eddie, a good five years or so. For both of us, this was our bread and butter. The whole day was a rush of emotions for us both, taking down childhood heroes and sharing a final together. I felt as though I was watching the culmination of all our years windsurfing together on Tiree. In the end, the young upstart would be too much for me. When the clock ran out on the single elimination final, it would be Proffitt on top, Eddie close behind, myself in third, and James Cox, nose swollen and bruised but spirit undented, sitting in fourth. When the double elimination was completed, the final four remained the same, but Coxy’s smooth wave riding and keen eye for the best waves of each heat would ensure he took third place. I had to settle for fourth.

THE OLD GUARD MEETS THE NEXT GENERATION

Despite losing the podium, the whole day felt like a win just watching Eddie, the untested sixteen-year-old kid, beat multiple Tiree champion and world tour veteran Ben Proffitt in the final. This meant Eddie forced a super-final to decide the winner in the dying light of the day. In the end, Proffitt would take the win, leaving Eddie an immensely respectable second place. But the fire has been lit, and everybody who watched his performance knows he’s hungry for more, and capable of getting it. Watch this space!

As the wind backed off, the celebrations began, and the event closed out in a memorable night at Tiree’s Alan Stevenson House. Speeches were made, beers were drank, and the adrenaline which pumped with the howling wind from Saturday to Thursday finally calmed, as competitors drifted off to bed and dreams of windy days ahead. For the Tiree Wave Classic’s return as a World Cup, the event was a major success. For the UK tour, and for a pair of Scottish lads stoked to be in their first pro final, the Classic was no slouch either. See you all next year!