2024 East Coast Classic Surf Competition – Cayton Bay
The 2024 East Coast Classic Surf Competition at Cayton Bay, near Scarborough, was a pretty special event for the Yorkshire surf scene.
Held over 14–15 September 2024, the competition marked the return of the East Coast Classic after an 11-year break. With support from Secret Spot, surfers from across Yorkshire and the wider East Coast came together for a weekend celebrating competitive surfing and the local surf community.
For me, it was also a great opportunity to get out with my camera and photograph some of the surfers taking part.
A weekend of competitive surfing
The 2024 East Coast Classic featured several competition divisions, including Men’s, Women’s, Longboard and Under-16 categories, giving surfers of different ages and surfing styles the chance to compete.
One of the things I enjoyed about photographing the event was the variety of surfers in the water.
There were experienced competitors pushing hard during their heats, longboarders making the most of the waves in a completely different way, and younger surfers getting valuable experience competing in a proper surf competition.
Competition surfing also gives you a very different type of photography to a normal surf session.
Every wave can potentially count towards a surfer’s score, so there are plenty of moments where surfers are pushing themselves to find the best section, hit the lip, throw spray or make a critical turn.
More than just the surfing
The East Coast Classic wasn’t simply about the heats in the water.
Alongside the competition there were surfboard demonstrations, a surf jumble, food, live music and other activities, helping create a proper weekend celebration of East Coast surfing.
That’s one of the things I enjoy about photographing surf competitions.
There are always photographs to be found away from the main action.
Surfers are preparing for their heats, friends are watching from the beach, people are talking about the conditions, boards are being carried down to the water and spectators are following the competition.
All of those moments help tell the story of the event.
Photographing the action at Cayton Bay
For me, photographing competition surfing is about much more than simply pointing a long lens at someone riding a wave.
I’m looking for the split-second moments that make a photograph work — a surfer hitting the lip, throwing spray, setting up for a turn or finding a good section of the wave.
I also like photographing the moments between the action.
A surfer paddling out for a heat, waiting for the next set, watching another competitor or paddling back towards the beach can sometimes tell just as much of the story as the biggest action shot.
Shooting from the beach also allows me to capture the atmosphere of Cayton Bay around the competition, including the surfers, spectators and wider Yorkshire surf community.
The return of the East Coast Classic
The return of the East Coast Classic was particularly significant because of the 11-year gap since the previous event.
Seeing competitive surfing return to Cayton Bay was a great reminder of how strong the surfing community is across Yorkshire and the wider East Coast.
Having surfers from places such as Scarborough, Cayton Bay, Saltburn, Tynemouth and other parts of the region coming together made it a great event to photograph.
For me, that’s what makes local surf competitions so interesting.
They’re not just about finding a winner. They’re also about bringing together the people who surf, photograph, teach, sell boards, run surf shops and support the sport along the coast.
My photographs from the 2024 East Coast Classic
These are some of my photographs from the 2024 East Coast Classic Surf Competition at Cayton Bay, capturing the surfers, action and atmosphere from the weekend.
I’ve tried to include a mixture of competition action and the moments around the event, rather than just concentrating on the biggest manoeuvres.
For me, every competition is another opportunity to improve my surf photography — trying different angles, following different surfers, working on timing and looking for those moments that tell the story.
The aim isn’t simply to photograph someone riding a wave.
It’s to capture the surfer, the wave, the competition and the atmosphere of the Yorkshire surf scene.
If you recognise yourself or someone you know in these photographs, feel free to get in touch. I’m always interested in putting names to the faces I’ve photographed and connecting the images with the surfers who were part of the event.
You can also see more of my surf photography and recent photographs through my social media accounts.
Surfers I photographed
I was lucky enough to photograph a number of surfers during the 2024 East Coast Classic.
The photographs include surfers from different parts of the Yorkshire and wider East Coast surf community, including people connected with local surf shops, surf businesses and the wider surfing scene.
Alex Emmott
I photographed Alex Emmott during the competition. Alex can be found on Instagram as @_alexemmott.
Sky Shaw
Sky Shaw, Instagram @skyshaw_, was also among the surfers I photographed during the weekend.
Jensen Martin
I also captured Jensen Martin, who is on Instagram as @j.e.n.s.e.n_m.a.r.t.i.n.
Finn Gamblin – Tynemouth Surf Co
Finn Gamblin was another surfer I photographed.
Finn is associated with Tynemouth Surf Co, and can be found through their surfing community on Instagram as @tynemouthsurfco.
Billy Ellis
I photographed Billy Ellis, who is on Instagram as @itsbillyellis.
Tom
Another surfer featured in my photographs is Tom, Instagram @tomlg21.
Dominic Straker
Dominic Straker was also photographed during the East Coast Classic. Dominic can be found on Instagram as @dominicstraker.
Blake Davies
I also photographed Blake Davies, whose Instagram account is @waves4blake.davies.
East Coast Surf
The weekend also brought together surfers connected with the wider East Coast Surf community, represented on Instagram by @east_coast_surf.
Cool By The Pool
I also photographed surfers connected with Cool By The Pool, Instagram @coolbythepooluk.
Will
Will, Instagram @surfboywill2, was another surfer I captured during the competition.
Rambling Angling Man
I also photographed the surfer behind @rambling_angling_man during the event.
Champa Thongpia
Champa Thongpia, Instagram @champathongpia, was another surfer I captured during the weekend.
Charlie Unsworth
I photographed Charlie Unsworth, who can be found on Instagram as @charlieunsworth03_.
Than Yearham
Than Yearham, Instagram @thanyearham, was also among the surfers I photographed.
Tom Cross
I also photographed Tom Cross, Instagram @tomcro55.
Steve Cross
Another surfer featured in the photographs is Steve Cross, Instagram @scross68.
Alan Somers – Secret Spot Surf Shop
Alan Somers was another surfer I photographed at the East Coast Classic.
Alan is associated with Secret Spot Surf Shop, one of the businesses closely connected with the East Coast surfing community. Secret Spot’s Instagram account is @secretspotsurfshop.
Jesse Davies
I also photographed Jesse Davies, Instagram @mr_jesse_davies.
Simon White
Simon White, Instagram @simon.white.395, was another surfer I captured during the competition.
Luke Kell
I photographed Luke Kell, who can be found on Instagram as @luke_kell_surf.
Cillian White
Cillian White, Instagram @cillian_white09, was also photographed during the event.
Noah Topliss
I also captured Noah Topliss, Instagram @noah.topliss.
Evan Rogers – Saltburn Surf Shop
Evan Rogers was another surfer I photographed during the East Coast Classic.
Evan is associated with Saltburn Surf Shop, and the shop can be found on Instagram as @saltburnsurfshop.