ACTION on the world’s oldest professional windsurfing contest is on pause today after the wild waves forced ferry operator CalMac to cancel a key sailing.

Organisers of the 32-year-old Tiree Wave Classic hoped to begin competition on the island’s famous beaches today.

Waves there are driven by strong currents, with winds regularly reaching gale force.

But the week-long event got off to a false start after many riders and fans were left on the mainland.

A service scheduled for Friday was called off “due to adverse weather”, leading to a delayed arrival on the Inner Hebridean isle.

A second sailing was set up for yesterday afternoon, and event host Willie MacLean told the Sunday National he is confident the contest will be held in full.

He said: “We schedule the event over several days for just these reasons. The sport itself is heavily dependent on the weather. In five or six days on Tiree, you can be guaranteed at least two or three days of good conditions.

“The forecast for the week is looking really good and we are expecting some great competition.”

Entrants travel to Tiree from around the UK and beyond. Founded in 1985 by Glaswegian Steve Bisset, the event features categories for both professional and amateur riders, with “fleets” for men, women, juniors and youths.

Previously sponsored by energy drink brand Red Bull, the competition lost big money backing when it lost its world cup status and was dropped by the sport’s ruling body, the Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA).

Now supported by Lossiemouth-based craft beer firm, Windswept Brewing Co, it has recovered from a slump in entrants, with competitor numbers trebling over the past three years.

Despite renewed interest, MacLean – who was raised on the island and runs local training school Wild Diamond Watersports – says there are no plans to regain WPA accreditation, citing financial and other requirements as obstacles.

He began his association with the annual event at the age of 10, when he and a friend were chosen as flag-holders following a classroom call from organisers.

The pair had no watersports involvement, but the experience introduced MacLean to what was to become a lifelong passion.

He said: “We have no interest in pursuing a world cup event. I don’t believe it is sustainable for a competition on a small island.

“We had four out of the top 20 professionals last year without having to conform to the ideas that the PWA has.”

However, he concedes that drawing large-scale funding remains a problem, saying: “We have more than 80 riders this year, and we’re probably operating at about half the capacity of the absolute dream event.

“In this country, unless your sport is football, funding is a major issue.

“In the past, it was all off-island management and sub-contractors, now everything is based here. The event fell away from what it once had been, and we’ve worked bloody hard to bring it back up.

“The key thing is to find commercial sponsorship and prize money. We are delighted to have Windswept involved and they have been fantastic, but we are proactively looking for that sponsorship.”

Last year’s contest took place as Hurricane Ophelia’s winds began to ease. While riders can take to the waves in gusts of no less than 20 miles per hour, there is no upper limit, with contestants asked if they want to continue when the going gets rough.

MacLean, who took part in the tournament before switching roles, said: “There’s no connection to nature I have experienced that would rival it.

“You are so exposed, you’re completely challenged by the conditions.

“Having your hair virtually blown off your head and jumping 30-40 feet above the waves is an adrenaline rush like no other.”