Cornwall Surfing Championship Cancelled Over Sewage Discharge

The 2025 English Interclub Surfing Championships in Porthtowan, Cornwall, were cancelled mid-event due to a sewage discharge that led to the local council red-flagging the beach, forcing more than 140 surfers to leave the water for health and safety reasons. Surfing England expressed devastation over ending the competition early, especially given the ideal wave conditions and high level of competition, and called for urgent government action on water pollution. South West Water (SWW) stated the storm overflow was activated legally following heavy rainfall and emphasized their ongoing £3.2 billion investment program aimed at reducing storm overflows across the region. However, environmental campaigners like Rob Abrams from Surfers Against Sewage criticized the frequency of sewage discharges by SWW, noting over 2,000 incidents in the first half of 2025 alone and questioning the legality and transparency of such releases. Local observers and event participants condemned the disruption and called for more accountability from SWW to ensure safe access to coastal waters. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between operational water management and the need to protect public health and environmental quality at recreational beaches.