Freesurfers Invaded a UK Surf Competition, Forcing Organizers to Call Police
An online firestorm erupted last month when male surfers were accused of invading a women’s surf event in Scotland. Since then, one of the accused surfers has come out against the digital hatred aimed at him, and this week he received a retraction from a surfing body that had previously posted negative statements.
The Great Britain Cup took place at Scotland’s Thurso Break on the weekend of October 25. The event featured 12-person teams from England, Wales, the Channel Islands, and Scotland. The winners of the men’s and women’s divisions earned spots on Great Britain’s team for the 2026 ISA World Surfing Games. However, the women’s event was postponed after a group of surfers paddled into the lineup, interfering with the event.
“Abuse directed at female competitors led to the premature suspension of the event on safety grounds, and event organizers were forced to seek assistance from Police Scotland,” the Scottish Surfing Board said in a statement at the time. “Such behavior is completely unacceptable and runs counter to Scottish Surfing’s values of Innovation, Care, Inclusion and Excellence.”
One of the interlopers was identified as Ian Battrick, a surfer from Jersey, Channel Islands, U.K. and owner of the brand Lunasurf. Battrick quickly became the focus of online fury, leading him to release a statement of his own. “During the recent surf competition, I made a mistake,” he wrote on Instagram. “The event was still running, and I chose to paddle out when we were told we could, maybe I shouldn’t have. It was thoughtless. I didn’t think about how that might affect the competitors or those who had worked hard to make the event happen. I take full responsibility for that choice. It was wrong, and I’m deeply sorry to anyone who felt disrespected or upset because of it. I can’t take it back, but I want to make clear that it came from poor judgment, not bad intention.”
However, Battrick also maintained that the response to his actions was inappropriate. “I can accept being called out for any mistake I have personally made,” he explained. “I deserve that. But what’s followed — the hate, the name-calling, the lies — has gone far beyond accountability. I’ve had hundreds of messages and comments from people I’ve never met, many of them cruel and deeply personal. People have felt afraid to speak the truth because their words are deleted or shouted down. It’s been overwhelming.”
Among those online detractors were the Channel Islands Surfing Federation, which has recently posted a retraction of some of their earlier statements on social media. “In a recent social media post, we published statements alleging that Jersey surfer Ian Battrick, during the GB Surf event in Thurso, verbally and physically abused female and male competitors, threatened violence on the cameramen and dunked one of the female competitors,” wrote the organization. “We did not contact Mr Battrick prior to publishing those statements, which statements we now recognise to be untrue. These allegations were disseminated via this official CISF social media account and were subsequently repeated and amplified across global media and social platforms. Regrettably, we also called Mr Battrick “brainless” in relation to the actions of which we accused him.
“We are advised that no action is being taken by Thurso Police against Mr Battrick in connection with the GB Surf event and also note that Mr Battrick has issued an apology on his Instagram account in connection with the GB Surf event.
“We apologize unreservedly to Mr Battrick for our error of judgment in publishing these statements, together with all and any distress caused to him as a result and Mr Battrick has accepted our apology.
“Both we and Mr Battrick now wish to draw a line under, and move on from, this matter, which we both hope will be respected.”
In turn, Battrick posted a statement of his own, via his company Lunasurf. “To be falsely portrayed worldwide as someone who would abuse or harm fellow surfers was devastating — not just for me, but for my family, friends, and everyone connected with Lunasurf,” he said. “We have spent years building our reputation on respect, fairness, and love for the ocean. Watching that reputation torn apart in a matter of hours by lies and speculation was indescribably painful.
“I am relieved that the truth is finally being recognised and that my name is being cleared. But the damage done — to my mental health and to my business — will take a long time to repair. I hope what happened to me makes people stop and think before they join an online pile‑on, or publish accusations without a single piece of evidence.”
