The Barbados Junior Surfing Club kicks off its 2011 BJSC Burkie Junior Surf Series with its first event sponsored by Lynch Insurance Brokers Ltd. this Saturday 12th February 2011 at Brandens Beach/Drill Hall, Christ Church. According to BJSC President, Mr. Alan Burke, the Club is looking towards an outstanding year. Interest in surfing is increasing exponentially among young athletes in Barbados and the levels of surfing performance are through the roof. Coupled with the Barbados Surfing Association there are 17 surfing events between the two organizations who are both focusing on the next waves of junior talent in Barbados. “With such a focus on nurturing the juniors through a competitive environment there is unprecedented progress with many of our young surfers competing at international levels,” said Burke. The Barbados Junior Surfing Club’s goal again this year is to send its team to various international contests starting with the Ron Jons Surf Festival on April 22nd – 24th and then onto the summer events on the US East Coast including the Rip Curl Grom Search, NKF Surf Festival and the largest event on the Eastern seaboard the East Coast Surf Championships. As Burke outlines “it is necessary for our juniors to get international exposure to develop competitively and attract potential sponsors to carry their surfing to the next level.” The Barbados Junior Surfing Club has attracted a number of local sponsors without whom the activities of the Club to train and develop the juniors in a competitive forum would be impossible. One such supporter includes the Lynch Insurance Brokers Ltd. who sponsors the first event of the Series this weekend. According to director of Lynch, Mr. Gregory Rose, “Lynch shares the vision of the Barbados Junior Surfing Club to develop the youth of Barbados through sporting and academic forums.” He goes on “We are pleased with the progress the Club is making and the great results demonstrated in the local and international contests in the past year, we are proud to continue our support of this worthy initiative in 2011 and beyond.” The Club welcomes all interested junior surfers to its first event on Saturday. Burke says “it promises to be an exceptional event, we are excited about this year and looking forward to major successes competitively for all our members both locally and internationally.”
