Lunasurf Co‑Founder Ian Battrick Welcomes Official Apology and Calls for Accountability After False Allegations at GB Surf Event Finals

Thurso, Scotland / Channel Islands – 20 November 2025

Ian Battrick, co‑founder of surf brand Lunasurf, has welcomed a public apology issued in relation to false and defamatory allegations made about him following the GB Surfing Finals in Thurso, Scotland.

The apology acknowledges that statements made about Mr Battrick — including claims that he had verbally abused female competitors, threatened a cameraman, and held a female surfer underwater during the competition — were untrue and should never have been published. These allegations were disseminated via an official Channel Islands Surfing Federation (CISF) social media account and were subsequently repeated and amplified across global media and social platforms.

Despite the seriousness of the claims, no footage of any such incident has ever emerged, despite two live streams running at the time and around 300 people watching from the shore. Mr Battrick has not been charged with any offence arising from the event. Police Scotland obtained body‑worn camera footage of the confrontation that followed, as well as evidence of vandalism to vehicles at the venue. 

“This has been one of the most difficult and traumatic periods of my life,” said Ian Battrick. 

“To be falsely portrayed worldwide as someone who would abuse or harm fellow surfers was devastating — not just for me, but for my family, friends, and everyone connected with Lunasurf. We have spent years building our reputation on respect, fairness, and love for the ocean. Watching that reputation torn apart in a matter of hours by lies and speculation was indescribably painful.

“I am relieved that the truth is finally being recognised and that my name is being cleared. But the damage done — to my mental health and to my business — will take a long time to repair. I hope what happened to me makes people stop and think before they join an online pile‑on, or publish accusations without a single piece of evidence.”

From False Claim to Global “Digital Mob” 

Shortly after an incident of disorder on the beach involving over 30 people — during which Mr Battrick was surrounded, verbally abused, filmed by multiple individuals and repeatedly pushed by members/competitors of the GB Surf Contest. As yet, there has been no action taken against these individuals by GB Surfing, or their respective teams, who were clearly in breach of GB Surfings code of conduct as well as possibly their own sponsors. Then a post was published on an official CISF channel, falsely accusing him of serious misconduct during the event.

Within approximately 30 minutes, the post had been shared widely and began to spread across multiple platforms. In the following weeks, the story was picked up and repeated internationally, with activity reported across Europe, Australia, North America, Africa and Asia. Across articles, reposts, comments, “likes”, “dislikes” and other interactions, online engagement relating to the false allegations exceeded millions of actions in less than three weeks.

Mr Battrick was subjected to a wave of online hate, bullying and harassment, including abusive messages and threats. Some media outlets, including major broadcasters, repeated the allegations without first obtaining evidence or a response from Mr Battrick.

Police Involvement and Written Apology

Police were called to the scene on the day of the incident and intervened to remove Mr Battrick from what officers described as a hostile crowd. The subsequent police investigation did not result in any charges against Mr Battrick.

Following enquiries and further information provided to the authorities, the individual responsible for posting the original false statements on behalf of the CISF has now accepted that:

- The allegations made against Mr Battrick were false; Mr Battrick did not interfere with the contest; he did not verbally or physically abuse anyone; and the “underwater” claim was fabricated.

- A formal apology has been issued acknowledging that the posts and statements were defamatory, slanderous and should not have been made.

- The incident also led to the vandalism of two vehicles at the event, as well as disorder on the beach, all of which are matters of record with Police Scotland. The vandalism was allegedly carried out by competing surfers/team members, including members of Surfing England and the Jersey Surfboard Club / CISF, and is supported by multiple witnesses. These matters were reported to GB Surf, Surfing England, CISF and the Jersey Surfboard Club. To date, no disciplinary action is known to have been taken against the individuals concerned, despite the apparent relevance of the applicable codes of conduct.

“This Could Happen to Anyone”

Mr Battrick emphasises that the story is now bigger than his own individual case:

“There are police records, witnesses and admissions that show what really happened that day. Yet for millions of people who only saw the first wave of reports, I will be remembered as the person those posts described — even though it was all untrue.

“This could happen to anyone. One false claim, posted from an ‘official’ account, can ignite a digital mob in minutes. Once that fire is lit, it spreads faster than any correction or apology ever can. We need surfing organisations, governing bodies, brands and media outlets to understand the power and responsibility that comes with their platforms and 'brand ambassadors'.”

Call for Reform and Responsible Communication

Mr Battrick is calling for:

- Full internal review within the Channel Islands Surfing Federation to establish how an individual was able to publish serious, unverified allegations from an official account without checks, oversight or due process.

- Clear social media and communications policies for federations, teams and event organisers, to prevent unsubstantiated claims being broadcast as fact. Accountability for their members, athletes and ambassadors actions.

- Greater responsibility from media outlets to verify information and seek comment from those accused before publishing reputationally damaging material.

- Stronger awareness within the surfing community of the harm caused by online bullying, harassment and pile‑ons based on incomplete or false narratives.

Mr Battrick believes the apology is an important step towards restoring his reputation, but stresses that significant damage has already been done to him personally and professionally, including to his company Lunasurf.

“I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to look at the facts, to the people who reached out privately with support when it felt like the whole world was against me, and to those within the authorities who took the truth seriously.

“My hope now is that what happened in Thurso becomes a turning point. If this experience leads to better safeguards, more responsible reporting, and fewer innocent people being torn apart online, then something positive can still come from an incredibly dark time.”

A Jersey surfer wrongly accused of abusing competitors during a national competition in Scotland has said he has faced "one of the most difficult and traumatic periods" of his life as he called for an internal review of how the allegations were published.

Last month, Ian Battrick was accused of disrupting the GB Surfing Cup in Thurso, verbally and physically abusing some surfers and that he had "dunked" a female competitor.

Although Mr Battrick acknowledged that he had started free surfing while the event was running, he denied that any abuse had occurred.

"To be falsely portrayed worldwide as someone who would abuse or harm fellow surfers was devastating," he said.

"But the damage done to my mental health and to my business - will take time to repair."

"I hope what happened to me makes people stop and think before they jump on an online pile-on or publish accusations without a single piece of evidence."

In a statement, the CISF acknowledged that it had not contacted Mr Battrick before publishing the allegations, which were subsequently picked up and repeated by international surf media and shared widely across social media platforms.

"Regrettably, we also called Mr Battrick 'brainless' in relation to the actions of which we accused him," the federation added.

The statement also confirmed that police are not taking action against Mr Battrick in relation to the event.

Regarding the Events of 26 October – GB Surfing Finals, Thurso

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• I did not engage in misogynistic behaviour.
• I did not verbally or physically abuse anyone.
• I did not threaten a cameraman.
• No “underwater” incident of any kind took place.

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• Vandalism of two vehicles, involving competing athletes representing England and Jersey.
• Aggressive affray-type behaviour in the car park, including incidents involving athletes and coaching staff.
• Filming of physical confrontation for social media whilst shouting abusive comments, then sharing that content online while representing their teams and sponsors.

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• How event organisers and associated organisations allowed their platforms to be used in ways that facilitated days and weeks of harassment, hostility, and misinformation.
• How sponsors continue to support athletes/ambassadors/“influencers" who engaged in — or publicly amplified — false allegations, bullying, and misinformation.
• The conduct of some athletes and team members during and after the event, which was unacceptable and profoundly unsportsmanlike.
• How governing bodies can allow athletes representing their countries to promote defamatory claims and criminal acts online without consequence.
• The role media outlets, “influencers”, and surf-industry platforms that repeated or promoted misinformation without basic fact-checking.

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About Ian Battrick and Lunasurf
Ian Battrick is a professional surfer and co‑founder of Lunasurf, an independent surf brand known for its wetsuits, surf equipment and commitment to grassroots surfing culture. Lunasurf has supported surfers and events worldwide, with a long-standing focus on respect, inclusion and environmental responsibility.

Media Enquiries
For further information, interviews or supporting documentation, please contact:
Name: Ian 
Email: info@lunasurf.com