Irish Surfing designates Scotland's Lost Shore as National Performance Centre and Olympic Training Facility
Irish Surfing team
Irish Surfing, the national governing body for surfing in Ireland, has officially designated Lost Shore Surf Resort in Edinburgh as its National Performance Centre for Surfing and Irish National Surfing Olympic Training Facility as part of a landmark partnership supporting the development of Irish athletes on the pathway to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The collaboration will provide Irish Surfing's elite athletes, coaches and performance teams with access to Europe's largest and most advanced wave pool, creating a dedicated high-performance training environment to support preparations for major international competitions and Olympic qualification campaigns.
The partnership comes at a pivotal time for Irish Surfing, which has a genuine opportunity to secure representation at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Multiple-time Irish Senior National Surfing Champion Gearóid McDaid made history in 2025 by becoming the first Irish surfer ever to win the European Open Men's title, claiming gold at EuroSurf 2025 in Santa Cruz, Portugal. McDaid will defend his title at EuroSurf 2026, with the championship forming a key milestone on the Olympic qualification pathway.
Alongside preparations for the ISA World Surfing Games this November and EuroSurf 2026, Lost Shore is expected to play a central role in Ireland's pursuit of Olympic qualification.
Lost Shore will serve as the primary training base for Ireland's elite surfing programme, providing dedicated access for Irish Olympic pathway athletes, Senior and Junior EuroSurf squads and adaptive surfing competitors.
Athletes will also benefit from access to Lost Shore's specialist high-performance facilities, including its dedicated High Performance Room and SurfLab, the world's first purpose-built surfing research and innovation facility developed in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University.
Andy Hadden, Founder of Lost Shore Surf Resort, said: "We're incredibly proud to be selected as the National Performance Centre for Surfing and Olympic Training Facility for Irish Surfing.
"This partnership is a significant endorsement of the world-class surfing, facilities and expertise that have been brought together at Lost Shore, as well as Scotland's growing reputation as a destination for surfing and athlete development.
"From the outset, our ambition has been to create a facility that not only inspires more people to experience surfing, but also supports athletes competing at the very highest level of the sport. To play a role in helping Irish surfers pursue success on a global stage, including their journey towards LA 2028, is hugely exciting."
Gavin McCrea, Head Coach of the Irish Surf Team, added: "We want to give Irish surfers the very best training facilities as we continue to develop our high performance development pathway programme.
"What makes Lost Shore particularly valuable is that it brings together world-class surfing, on-site accommodation,SurfLab and excellent international connectivity through nearby Edinburgh Airport, all in a single location. There are very few facilities anywhere in the world that can offer that combination, and it creates an environment where athletes can maximise every minute of a training camp.
The announcement builds on an existing relationship between Lost Shore and Ireland's leading surfers. Gearóid McDaid trained at Lost Shore as part of his preparations ahead of EuroSurf 2025, where he made history by becoming the first Irish surfer to win the European Open Men's title and helped Ireland secure a historic third-place finish in the team competition.
Gearoid McDaid at Lost Shore
Gearóid McDaid said: "Having access to Lost Shore is a huge advantage for competitive surfers. The ability to repeat specific waves, focus on technical progression and train in a high-performance environment helps accelerate development and build confidence heading into competition. I know how much it helped me ahead of EuroSurf last year and I'm excited that future Irish teams can reap the benefits too."
The collaboration will also support the next generation of Irish talent, including rising star Ruby Knox, who secured bronze in the Women's Longboard competition at EuroSurf 2025 and helped Ireland achieve its first-ever team podium finish at the championships.
Ruby Knox said: "This partnership is incredibly exciting for Irish surfers. Having access to a facility of Lost Shore's quality gives athletes the opportunity to train consistently, challenge themselves and prepare for competition in a way that isn't always possible in the ocean alone. It's a fantastic investment in the future of Irish surfing and will help support athletes across different disciplines as we continue to grow and develop the sport."
Further strengthening the programme, internationally renowned coach Glenn "Micro" Hall will support Irish Surfing's athlete development programme. Hall, who represented Ireland during his professional surfing career, is widely regarded as one of the world's leading surfing coaches and has worked with world champions and elite competitors including Kelly Slater, Tyler Wright and Matt Wilkinson.
The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to growing surfing participation, supporting athlete development and creating opportunities for surfers at every level of the sport.
