February 2010 NUI Galway Hosts Irish Surfing Association Student Intervarsities

NUI Galway Surf Club have retained their title for the fifth consecutive year at the 2010 Irish Surfing Association Student Intervarsities hosted by the University in Strandhill, Co. Sligo. The competition, sponsored by Rip Curl, saw 120 competitors from 12 different Universities and Institutes of Technologies across Ireland, take part. The contest, the largest event of its kind in Ireland, was split into five different categories, Men's Open, Women's Open, Longboard, Body Board and Beginners. The beach in Strandhill was separated into two contest zones to allow the Beginners competition to take place at the same time as the main event. Over 43 beginners took part, making it one of the biggest competitions of the Intervarsities and the only beginner competition in the British Isles. NUI Galway dominated in the contests two main events, the Men's Open and Women's Open, with Ollie O'Flaherty clinching the Men's Open title. NUI Galway's Hugh Galloway and Rob Cahill took third and fourth place in the Men's Open respectively. NUI Galway's Rebecca Piggott took third place in the Women's Open with Elisha Hickey coming in fourth. NUI Galway also had a successful run in the Longboard category when Stephen Kelleher was awarded first place, and Baron Tomlinson came in second. Commenting on the success of NUI Galway students in the competition, Kathy Hynes, Development Officer for Clubs and Participation at NUI Galway, said: "The NUI Galway Surf Club has successfully, through their commitment to the sport, raised the profile of the club on a national and international basis. We are extremely proud of this dynamic group of students and the success they have brought to the University". The 2011 Irish Surfing Association Student Intervarsities will be held in Bundoran, and co-hosted by University of Ulster, Coleraine and NUI Galway. -Ends-