Bournemouth para surfer Zoe Smith has visited Lost Shore Surf Resort in Edinburgh to train ahead of the 11th ISA World Para Surfing Championship, which takes place from 19 to 22 November 2026 at DSRT Surf in Palm Desert, California, according to Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.
Zoe won gold in the women’s Stand 2 division at the 2024 ISA World Para Surfing Championship, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce said. She took up surfing around 2021 following a car accident in 2015 that resulted in a below-the-knee amputation, according to the Chamber.
Zoe said: “After my accident, finding something that made me feel truly alive again was incredibly important. When I discovered surfing, it gave me that feeling back. Being in the water, pushing myself and learning what my body could do was a real turning point for me.”
She said her training regime ahead of this year’s World Championship has been intense, and as the 2026 competition is taking place in a surf lagoon for the first time, she was keen to test her skills at Lost Shore. She said training there had been a fantastic opportunity to work on her surfing in a consistent environment and focus on details that could make a difference at the Championships.
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce said Zoe’s visit highlights Lost Shore’s growing role as a destination for elite surfers and national teams. Since opening in 2024, the resort has secured partnerships with Scottish Surfing, Irish Surfing and Norwegian Surfing, and GB Surfing has selected it as one of its National Performance Centres and Olympic Training Facilities, the Chamber said.
The Chamber also noted that Jade Edward, a quadruple amputee from Aberdeenshire who competed at the 2023 ISA Para World Championships aged 11, is an ambassador for Lost Shore.
Lee Wood, Managing Director at Lost Shore Surf Resort, said: “Zoe’s story is a brilliant example of what surfing can make possible. To come through such a life-changing experience, discover the sport relatively recently and go on to become a world champion is an extraordinary achievement.” He added that consistency is a huge part of performance surfing, and that working on specific aspects of technique in a repeatable environment can make a real difference.