Ben Skinner

Cornwall-based Skinners Brewery is celebrating a European champion among its sponsored sports stars – with the boss’s son triumphing on the beach where he began learning to surf at the age of three.

Ben Skinner, now 24, son of brewery chief executive Steve, became European longboard champion with a revenge win over world No. 1 Antoine Delpero of France.

Ben was representing his native Jersey in the 2009 Eurosurf event at St Ouen’s Bay, Jersey – where he was introduced to surfing before the family moved to Cornwall.

Proud dad said:  “Ben was ecstatic after a tremendous performance that was all the more notable for being on the beach where I first introduced him to surfing when we lived in Jersey.  This location probably means more to him than any other.

“When he was just three years old, I would take him out into the water three times a week.  The spectators who saw him triumph at Eurosurf included many who have followed his progress right from that early age.”

He added:  “Ben is having an absolutely fantastic year.  He’s swept the board in the UK domestic competitions and he’s now dominating Europe.”

Ben’s success in the 2009 Eurosurf Championships earned himself a special place in the history books for the organising Jersey Surfboard Club, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary. 

Last month he won the first leg of this year’s professional ESF European Longboard championship, winning the first leg in fine style at Vieux Boucaux in France.  He is bidding to recapture this title, which he won in the event’s first year in 2007.