Skinner was European Longboard Champion in 2007

Jersey's Ben Skinner has won the first round of the European Longboard Tour at Vieux Boucaux in France.

Skinner was tour champion in 2007 but failed to repeat that form last year and ended up finishing third.

The 24-year-old, who currently lives in Cornwall, said he now feels more confident about this year's event.

He said: "I felt I surfed really well in some very tough heats. I kept my cool and ended up winning all my heats by a big margin."

"Vieux Boucaux was a four-star event with lots of points at stake, which made the result even more significant and encouraging," Skinner added.

The European Longboard Tour continues in November with two events in Portugal and one in Morocco.

The final is at Estoril, in Portugal, between 21-22 November.

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