HUNDREDS of young surf life saving competitors will be taking part in championships in Cornwall at the weekend (July 12 to 13).

The Cornish Nipper Champs event is being hosted on Crinnis Beach by the Carlyon Bay Surf Life Saving Club which is expecting more than 600 entrants aged between seven and 13 years old.

The contest is open to all Cornish surf life saving clubs and will run from 9am to 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

There will be a mixture of land- and sea-based events putting the children’s skills to the test.

A Carlyon Bay Surf Life Saving Club spokesperson said: “It promises to be an exciting weekend of sport.

“Our club started in 2023 and we’ve gone from a handful of people interested in setting up a club up to just shy of 90 members aged between five and 60.

“This event promises to be a huge boost to our goal of spreading life saving awareness and skills to our local community.

“This is the first time we are hosting such an event on the beach, so its hugely exciting and daunting for us on both fronts.

“We run fun weekly sessions to give children and adults confidence in the water and the skills to save lives. Pool sessions take place at Polkyth Leisure Centre while beach sessions are held on Crinnis Beach.”

“We are a volunteer-run club, with a passion for water safety and enabling all ages to have fun in the sea and on the beach.

“Club members develop fitness, skills, water safety awareness and the confidence to be able to keep themselves and others safe at the coast.

“The Nippers work through a series of awards, moving on to learn the skills to become fully qualified beach and surf lifeguards at 16 if they wish.”