A Moray surfer is preparing to be part of Scotland’s first team at a global championship next month.
Jennifer Wood has just one month of intense training before she joins her fellow Scottish teammates as they make their debut at the International Surfing Association World Surfing Games in Peru.
Ms Wood, from Elgin, said: “I’m really excited. It’s a really big opportunity for me and it’s really good for Scotland as well.”
“Since finding out we were going, I have done a lot of fitness classes — cross-training and building up my stamina.
“We were told to watch surfing events on TV as well, to see different styles.
“There was a competition in Tahiti on the other day, and it just got me even more excited for Peru.”
The 24-year-old moved to Elgin for school and found discovered her love of surfing thanks to the rich waves of the Moray Firth.
Her romance with a surf board started during her time as a summer beach lifeguard, which forced her to use a rescue board on the job.
She got hooked and joined a surfing club at Glasgow University, where she studied marine biology.
“I think there’s a moment you realise you are addicted,” she said.
“It takes over your life. When people think of surfing, they think about the California beach lifestyle, but here in Scotland, you’ve really got to be committed to thaw out your wet suit in November.
“It’s just too challenging for most people. You don’t see a lot of winter surfers in Scotland, especially not girls, and I hope through this I can encourage more people to get into the sport.”
This year will be the 50th anniversary of the ISA World Games and will be the first time that a Scotland team has had representation at such a level.
The last time Scotland participated at an international level was at the EuroSurf competition in the early 1990s.
Ms Wood’s will be joined by Mark Cameron and Iain Masson, both from Fraserburgh, Mark Boyd, from Thurso, Phoebe Strachan, from Edinburgh, and Andrew Robertson, from St Andrews, for the games, which run from October 24-November 1.