Aisling Deegan- European Wakeboard Boat Championships 2024

This experience, coupled with my regular practice, has reignited my passion for the sport.

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to compete in the 2024 European Wakeboard Boat Championships at the picturesque Club Nautique de Toutainville in Normandy, France. After stepping back from competing since 2017, I went into this event with a mix of nerves and excitement, looking forward to experiencing the buzz wakeboarding competitions always bring!

Since May, I have been working as a wakeboard and wakesurf coach at various resorts around the globe. This experience, coupled with my regular practice, has reignited my passion for the sport. I was looking forward to performing my run and witnessing the impressive standard of boat wakeboarding in 2024.

The competition brought together over one hundred athletes from fifteen European countries, and I was proud to represent Ireland in the Open Women’s Category, competing against talented ladies from the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Ukraine, Latvia, and the UK. My qualifying run went well, I successfully landed inverts and spins, which advanced me to the semi-finals. Although my performance in the semi-finals did not secure a spot in the finals, I was pleased to finish joint 9th overall.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the IWWF for organizing such a well-executed event. Most importantly, I want to sincerely thank the Irish Waterski and Wakeboard Federation and the Women in Sports committee for their unwavering support. Your encouragement means the world to me and has played a significant role in my journey.

Aisling Deegan