Raised on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, racing in the Atlantic for the first time

Bundoran is a small surf town on Ireland’s Atlantic coast. EuroSurf Junior 2026 was held here between 24 September and 4 October, bringing together Europe’s best surfers under 18. More than 200 athletes from 20 nations competed. Türkiye took part in the championship with an U18 national team for the first time.

No sail, no kite

In wave surfing, the athlete catches a breaking wave with a board and performs manoeuvres on its face. Competition runs in short rounds called heats. Two to four surfers paddle out at the same time in each heat. Judges score every wave on difficulty, speed, power, flow and the variety of manoeuvres. A surfer’s two best waves are added together.

Events are held on two types of board, the shortboard and the longboard. The short, agile shortboard suits sharp turns. On a longboard, the surfer walks along the board and shows a more classic style. Wave surfing has been an Olympic sport since Tokyo 2020. In Türkiye, it is governed by the Turkish Sailing Federation (TYF).

The team was selected in Samandağ

The national team was selected at the 2026 TYF Wave Surfing Turkish Championship in Samandağ, Hatay. The championship was hosted by Hatay Surf Sports School.

Kenan Doğru won both the longboard and the shortboard in the U18 boys, and Nisa Keser did the same in the U18 girls. Eleven-year-old Defne Aygün won two titles in the U16 girls. In the U16 boys, Semir Köse won the shortboard and Ali Köse the longboard. Yiğit Ata Yılmaz finished second in the U18 shortboard. Canan Duru Düzce and Yağmur Girişken also reached the podium in the girls’ categories.

The full team was Yiğit Ata Yılmaz, Nisa Keser, Defne Aygün, Kenan Doğru, Semir Köse, Ali Köse, Canan Duru Düzce and Yağmur Girişken. The coaches were Kadir Tolga Uçal and Ferit Ercan.

In the ocean for the first time

Having learned to surf on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the athletes raced in Ireland in cold water, strong winds and changeable waves. The team finished the championship 13th out of 20 nations.

Yiğit Ata Yılmaz, who started surfing in Şile, describes the championship in his own words.

“After starting to surf in Şile, through my training and on my road to the European Championship, I had the chance to surf in the ocean for the first time in Ireland. Throughout this process I tried to improve myself and to represent my country in the best way. I made friends from many new countries. I am happy to have heard everyone, from the event’s announcer to our friends in the other teams, say that we were the kindest and friendliest team. Being in the same water as the best under-18 surfers in the world was impressive. Competing under our flag there was a great honour. I hope I can improve myself and compete again, even better.”
Yiğit Ata Yılmaz

Nisa Keser also started surfing in Şile. The 16-year-old had her first international experience in Portugal last year and wore the national jersey for the second time this year.

“When I started surfing in Şile, I never even dreamed I would get this far. After my first international experience in Portugal last year, taking part in EuroSurf Junior in Ireland this year, for the second time in the national jersey, was a completely different experience. I am 16, and representing Türkiye in this sport is the greatest pride of my life. Seeing clearly how athletes from other countries have grown up inside this culture for years is something else. Watching how they warm up, how they read the water and the level of competition there was an education in itself. When I met people from different cultures, I was deeply moved to share the same feelings and be together. Seeing the training I did in Şile pay off in Ireland is a feeling I cannot describe. I believe future generations will go much further, and I will work for that.”
Nisa Keser

A first for Donegal

Türkiye’s Ambassador in Dublin, Esra Cankorur, hosted the national team during the championship. Cankorur noted that this was the first time a Turkish national team had come to the Donegal region and met each of the athletes in person.

Portugal won the championship, with Spain second. For the Turkish athletes, Bundoran was their first championship in the ocean. Rüzgar Üstü congratulates all eight athletes and their coaches.