Tiso Sponsorship

Surf's up with our new athlete Erica Chisholm!Erica_Chisholm07.jpg

We are delighted to welcome surf kayaker Erica Chisholm to our team of sponsored athletes.

  • Born: 1972
  • Nationality: Scottish
  • Discipline: Surf Kayaking
  • Top achievement: Reaching the finals and ranking 4th in the World at the World Championships, 2007; Ranking 2nd in Europe by achieving runner-up in 2005 European Championships
"I first took up kayaking in 2002 although as a kid was always in and out of the water in various types of boats. I started taking lessons in the local pool, then venturing outside on a few Irish rivers. I have also dabbled in a bit of sea-kayaking.

I discovered surf-kayaking in the summer of 2004, along the North West coast of Ireland at a ‘Come & Try It’ day hosted by the CANI surf team. I was hooked straight away and determined to master the sport. I was thrown in the deep end later that October by being asked to join the squad representing Northern Ireland in the Home Internationals. These were held in Quiberon, Brittany in 2004. We finished a very close 2nd to England with the event organiser describing Team NI as "…the rising stars of surf kayaking and a force to be reckoned with."

The World Championships are held every two years with the most recent being hosted by Costa Rica in 2005 and Mundaka, Spain in 2007. As well as competing as part of the squad, I also compete on an individual level at the annual Irish Open and at the European Championships. To help reach the desired fitness level leading up to the bigger competitions, I attend regular intensive training sessions including surfing with video feedback, sessions with a fitness trainer & dietician and coaching weekends in different surf conditions. My goal is to continually improve and learn new surf skills and to achieve a podium place at the next World Championships."

Find out more info about Surf Kayaking in NI visit www.nisurfkayak.com

Laterst News

Just back from the 2007 World Surf Kayaking Championships held in Mundaka and Bakio, Spain where I competed both on an individual level and as part of the NI Squad.  Individually, I made it through to the quarter-finals in my ‘High Performance’ kayak and the finals in the ‘International Class’, claiming the title of 4th in the World.  The day of the women's’ finals saw 8-10ft wave faces breaking on the steep profile of Bakio beach, which required nerves of steel! I felt honoured to compete against and learn from some top names in the surf kayaking field and now know what’s needed, in terms of skills and mental state, to go even further at future competitions. The team contest saw 9 full teams compete from countries all over the world, with competition as fierce as ever proving the standard of surf kayaking is continually improving.  NI finished 2nd in the world beating both Jersey and England on the finals day, which was another great result. 

I’d like to thank Tiso for their continued support and Noel Maguire who has provided me with invaluable coaching over the last few months. The next Worlds contest is scheduled for Portugal in Oct 2009.