A Scottish surfer hopes to win his next competition after taking on the world’s biggest wave in Portugal.
Ben Larg made history as the first Scottish surfer to be invited to the Nazare Big Wave Challenge, as well as the youngest in the competition at just 20 years of age.
The Scot said he was “delighted” to have taken part in the contest and told STV News of his joy at a podium finish.
“I’m feeling delighted, I didn’t even know I was going to be in the contest until the day before, but my friend Garret McNamara dropped out and I got his place,” Ben said.
Damien Poullenot/World Surf LeagueDespite the last minute call up, Ben managed to secure a podium position in his first big wave competition, taking third place in the men’s competition.
He also secured third place in the team’s category alongside teammate and British big wave pioneer Andrew Cotton.
Ben said the last minute call-up gave him less time to process what he was getting himself in for.
“I think it was good, I think if I had a week of preparation, I would’ve psyched myself out and I would’ve been more nervous,” he said.
Damien Poullenot“I slept, I thought about what I wanted to do, I said I wanted to do two big turns and tow my teammate into a good wave, and that’s what I focused on.”
Ben surfed his first big wave at the age of 14 in Mullaghmore, Ireland and has been determined to keep going ever since.
“I really wanted to go over there, a guy called Peter Conroy took us out and another guy called Dylan towed me into my first big wave when I was 14, that was the first time I got big waves,” he said.
Now, he’s become the first Scot to ever be invited to the contest – something Ben says hasn’t sunk in yet.
Damien Poullenot/World Surf League“When I see my name on the leaderboard to all these big names like Kai Lenny and Nick Von Rupp, it feels incredible. To compete with those guys and to actually place next to them too,” he said.
While Ben seemed calm under the pressure, he said his parents were getting “nervous” while watching him surf so close to the rocks.
“Both my parents are getting used to it now, but they used to get quite scared when I was younger,” he said.
He had a whole host of support on the cliffs watching him surf in the contest, including his granny.
“It made me so happy, I knew I had to get a good result if my granny was there,” he added.
Following his success on the global stage, Ben said next year he’d like to try and win the contest.
“I’m not sure what’s not next, maybe next year I’ll try and win the contest or at least get a proper invite to it, it’s crazy to not even have been guaranteed a place and come third,” he said.
‘I think we’re going to see a lot more professional surfers come out of Scotland in the next few years’
– Ben Larg, Scottish surfer
Ben believes his success won’t just open doors for him, but a whole generation of Scottish surfers.
It comes as a new surf resort opened on the outskirts of Edinburgh last year, with Ben predicting the facility will make waves in the sport.
“I think especially now with Lost Shore you’ll see loads more people coming up, there’s loads of kids training there all the time, I think it will really boost the progression,” he said.
“I think we’re going to see a lot more professional surfers come out of Scotland in the next few years.”
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