Para surfing world champion trains at Edinburgh wave resort ahead of title defence
Zoe Smith, a world champion para surfer, is preparing to defend her title.
A world champion para surfer has been putting in the work at Edinburgh’s Lost Shore Surf Resort as she prepares to defend her title at an international competition next month.
Gold medal winning athlete Zoe Smith visited the globally acclaimed Ratho facility ahead of the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Para Surfing Championship in California.
Smith, from Bournemouth, won gold in the women's Stand 2 division at the 2024 event but only discovered surfing around five years ago after a car accident left her with a below-the-knee amputation in 2015.
Following the accident, she faced the challenge of rebuilding her life before finding a renewed sense of freedom in the water.
What began as a way to feel alive again quickly developed into a passion, with Zoe going on to become a world champion just three years after taking up the sport.
Zoe said: “After my accident, finding something that made me feel truly alive again was incredibly important. When I discovered surfing, it gave me that feeling back.
“Being in the water, pushing myself and learning what my body could do was a real turning point for me.”
She said her training regime ahead of this year's competition had been “intense”, with the 2026 championships set to take place in a surf lagoon for the first time.
She visited the Edinburgh resort to test her skills in conditions similar to those she will face in California, using its consistent waves to refine her technique and build confidence.
She said: “I only started surfing around 2021, so to win a world championship gold medal in 2024 showed me just how much is possible when you find something you love and commit yourself to it.
“Training at Lost Shore has been a fantastic opportunity to work on my surfing in a consistent environment and really focus on the details that can make a difference at the World Championships.
“I’m excited to keep progressing, represent Great Britain on the international stage and see what I can achieve.”
Lost Shore opened back in 2021 and has partnerships with national surfing organisations including Scottish Surfing, Irish Surfing and Norwegian Surfing.
GB Surfing has also selected Lost Shore as one of its National Performance Centres and Olympic Training Facilities, providing a base for British athletes working towards future international and Olympic competition.
-(1).jpg?trim=0,294,0,293&width=640&quality=65)
The resort is also home to ambassador Jade Edward, from Aberdeen, who was the youngest ever female athlete to compete at the 2023 ISA Para World Championships in California aged 11.
quadruple amputee and had to have her limbs removed aged just two after contracting meningococcal septicaemia, a life threatening condition.
For para surfers, the wave pool offers a valuable opportunity to access consistent conditions and repeat specific manoeuvres, helping athletes and coaches concentrate on technical development.
Unlike the ocean, where wave quality and frequency depend on changing conditions, the controlled environment allows surfers to maximise quality time in the water and build sessions around individual performance goals.
Lee Wood, Managing Director at Lost Shore Surf Resort, said: “Zoe’s story is a brilliant example of what surfing can make possible.
“To come through such a life-changing experience, discover the sport relatively recently and go on to become a world champion is an extraordinary achievement.
“We’re proud that Lost Shore can provide a place for athletes like Zoe to prepare, develop their skills and pursue their ambitions on the world stage.”
Zoe Smith will compete in the 11th International Surfing Association (ISA) World Para Surfing Championships, which will take place from November 19-22 at DSRT Surf in Palm Desert, California.