Gareth on the crest of a wave

11:51am Wednesday 19th November 2008

Tenby kitesurfer Gareth ‘Mogsy’ Morgan is celebrating after being placed first in the amateur wave riding section of the British Kite Surfing Association’s national competition.

The win came after three heats in Westward Ho, north Devon, on home water in Newgale, and in Gwithian, Cornwall.

Mogsy, a former champion skiff sailor, took up kitesurfing in 2003 when he moved to the county from Swansea.

The sport has several disciplines and he competes in the wave riding section, which is judged on the speed, turns and tricks completed on a wave.

Coming into the final heat at Gwithian in third place, he was surprised to claim the top spot.

“The win came earlier than I expected really,” he said.

“I was third going into the final event, but I knew that if the waves were going to be big it would be to my advantage because I’ve got experience on big waves and some of the guys who I was competing against didn’t.

“We had seven or eight foot waves in the end, average size, but quite big for the guys from the south coast. I just tried to put what I had learnt into practice and I was delighted to show people what Pembrokeshire kite surfers can do.”

Mogsy works at Murco oil refinery, Milford Haven, and receives riding sponsorship from his employer and equipment sponsorship from Mike and Jan Prout, at the Surf Centre in Penally.

He says the Pembrokeshire coast and terrible weather this summer have helped enormously with his training.

“Pembrokeshire’s curved coastline and numerous world-class beaches have been the perfect location and the key to honing my windsurfing skills during 2008, the windiest summer the young sport has ever known,” he added.

“I’ve been concentrating this year on getting on the waves, looking for cross-shore winds which let me get out past the breakers but have minimal influence on the surf.”