The little big surfer from Barbados
Chelsea Tuach

One of Barbados’ shining future female surf stars is 11 year old Chelsea Tuach, currently ranked number 2 in the Ladies Division, No 3 in the Under-18 Girls Division and number 2 in the combined Boys/Girls Under 12 Division. Chelsea has been surfing since she was seven years old and at 10 she became the youngest surfer to ever represent Barbados at international level when she participated in the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in Maresias, Brazil in May of 2006.

Chelsea also surfed in the Open Ladies Division at the final event of the ALAS (Latin American and Caribbean ) tour which was held in Puerto Rico in early December 2006. She was once again the youngest surfer at the event and obtained a creditable 5th place and an ALAS ranking of 10th in the Open Ladies Division.

At Easter this year Chelsea competed in the Caribbean Surf Network’s Contest held at Brandons and obtained 3rd place in the Open Ladies Division. Just recently, she competed in the final leg of the Caribbean Surf Network and once again she was the youngest female competitor and placed fourth overall.

She is the 2007 Under 12 Girls School Champion and in the recently concluded Lazy Days National Surfing Championships, Chelsea became Barbados’ Under 12 National surf champion, amazing the audience with a strong and determined surf, carving smooth lines and earning herself a top finish against an all male onslaught. With this victory Chelsea became the first girl champion in a combined male/female Under 12 Division.

In the recently concluded Sprite Gromfest, Chelsea placed 2nd in the Under 16 Girls Division and won the Girls Under-12 Division.

Chelsea also competed in Iquique, Chile in early November in the Open Ladies Division of the VIII Pan American Surfing Games, the youngest surfer ever selected to represent Barbados at this prestigious bi-annual regional event and the youngest competitor at this event.

What this petite surfer lacks in power, she makes up for with her big heart, courage and love of the sport.

She was awarded this year with an ISA Individual Scholarship, and in a letter to the ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, she said: “I am thrilled to be the recipient of the ISA Individual Scholarship and to be an ambassador for this sport that I love so much and to inspire others to become a part of our surfing family.”

About International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding and surfriding. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980. 

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 50 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since.  The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Maile Aguerre (Hawaii) and Mike Gerard (USA).

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