Exmouth Windsurfer Clare Elliott is making her mark on the sport with a fantastic season on the European Freestyle Pro Tour.

Clare has been competing in Vieste, Italy over the past week, where she defied very low winds to secure an admirable 4th place, a result that keeps her 4th in the European standings for the Women’s Freestyle.

The tour takes Clare and her fellow competitors all over the globe, with a trip to Lemkenhafen in Germany next on the agenda, followed by events in Switzerland, Greece, Denmark and Japan.

Competing on the tour represents an amazing rise in the sport for Clare, who only took up windsurfing after graduation but her natural sporting instincts made the transition fairly smooth.

“I got into windsurfing when I was 20 after completion of my diploma in outdoor leisure at Bicton College,” she said. “From Bicton, we were all encouraged to get a job abroad and I worked in Greece, looking after children on holiday. It was during this period that I discovered windsurfing! 

“Being a sporty kid, and growing up in a family of outdoor enthusiasts living in Exeter, Topsham and Exmouth, I quickly took to windsurfing where I competed in my debut freestyle competition in 2017 in the World Cup in Fuerteventura, placing 7th woman in the world and ranked 1st in UK.

“As well as competing, I coached it professionally in Greece and also ran women’s only windsurfing camps and managed to earn a good reputation worldwide for my windsurfing coaching.”

Despite the globetrotting, competing in some of the greatest windsurfing spots the world has to offer, there is nothing quite like home for Clare, with Exmouth presenting enthusiasts for the sport with one of the most exciting challenges available. 

“Exmouth is one of my favourite places to windsurf, especially in autumn and spring when the sea and air temp is mild,” Clare added. “The conditions here can be amazing. Windsurfing when there is lots of swell and waves is also exhilarating and my favourite conditions!”

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