The Surf Scene

2010 has been a good year for Irish surfing. More people than ever have been hit the waves along the coast from Tramore in Waterford to Portrush in Antrim. It is a sport that is bucking the trend and increase during this time of recession ... both as a lifestyle sport and business. A large number of surf schools, surf lodges and surf wear shops have cropped up in our coastal cities and along our shores. In the case of Irish fans, figures estimate that there are now 200 000 surfers in the country. This of course was helped by the very consistent surf in the summer months makes the summer of 2010 one of the most swell-rich summers we have had in modern history.

Aside from the flood of first timers and weekend warriors from the East Coast, Irish surfing and top Irish surfers have to beat the headings of outstanding racing success both at home and abroad and to tackle some big waves outside Clare, Donegal and Sligo coast.

Fergal Smith in particular has had a fantastic year. He has continued to push the boundaries of Irish surfing, pitching in and against some incredible waves that Reilly and Aileen in Co Clare, and G-spot and Mullaghmore in Donegal and Sligo respectively. He has had numerous cover shots in European and World Surfing Magazines and this year has been the most photographed surfers in Europe, exceeding even the top ASP surfers like Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning in the surf media.

Fergal also made history by getting to Round 3 of the Tahitian pro last summer in the South Pacific. The competition was staged at the fearsome left PERSONAL Teahupoo, where he took out some top names on the surfing world on the road and his surfing sent out more than a ripple through the pro surfing's elite.

The domestic scene

Domestic competition stage was stronger than ever this year. The 2010 season ended in style at the last election race this year - The Billabong Open at Easkey, Co Sligo, in October. The contest was met with perfect 4-6ft waves all weekend with offshore wind and sunny skies. The level of surfing was world class and all the competitors agreed that it was one of the best Irish competitions for the past 10 years. Billabong team rider and Strandhill local Stephen Kill Feather crowned Irish Open Champion, while Bundoran pro-surfer Nicole Morgan reclaimed her ladies title in a hard-fought final.

The last team event of the year, the annual Rossnowlagh Intercounties (this race has been running since 1967). The conditions were small but perfectly over the October Bank Holiday with 1-2ft clean light waves during mild sunny blue sky. Last year's runaway winner, Team Donegal (Bundoran Surf World) was undone in the semifinals. The final was contested by two of the young grommet law. Represents Donegal, Peter Bannon, Jack Scott and James Garvey while Aaron O'Hare, Kerry Larkin, Gearoid Mc Daid and David O'Donnell consisting of Sligo Team. The final was the youngest contestant in the history of the event with three finalists in 12 years. In the end, a brilliant display of surfing Co. Sligo sealed victory in the small conditions with Aaron and Gearoid best surfers of the event.

The great wave scene has also been very prominent this year in Ireland. Northwest and west coast have been pounded over the past 12 months with a consistent amount of huge low pressure switch on the big wave locations Aileen and Mullaghmore month after month. Mullaghmore also broke into the 20ft plus range for a big mid-July summer swell. Summer swell of this size are extremely rare.

September and October had four really great days in November and continued in the same vain. The 2010 north west stands out big wave tow surfers have Neil Britton, Paul O'Kane, Mike Hamilton, Al Mennie, Dylan Stott and Dave Lavelle. Fergal Smith brings out big waves throughout the season and mix it up nicely with some broad and paddle-in days equal. He had one in early October paddle session of the G-point for all who have seen it, will go down as one of the best performance ever by an Irish surfer in 8-10ft super hollow waves.

Dave Lavelle deserves a mention for an outstanding 20ft dish he had at Mullaghmore in early October. There was a solid crew of northwestern big wave tow-in Surfers attacking the best day all year round at Mullaghmore. Huge hollow 20-30ft sets were exploding outside the reef with all surfers charging some incredible waves. Mid Session Dave managed to catch wave of the session and perhaps one of the waves of the year ... screaming over the shallow reef in the middle of a 20ft tube ride coming blasting out of the channel much to the delight of their fellow surfers and the 500 + strong group of spectators viewing from the headland above.

And of course there was the headline grabbing off-shore wave prowlers who stole the show in early November when the waves in the region of 40 feet was ridden by Al Mennie, Andrew Cotton, Paul O'Kane, Barry Mottershead, Jeremy Johnson and myself. (There is more information about this in the next issue of Outsider so stay tuned.)

So what can we expect for the New Year 2011? More Irish surfers take to the water? More surf? More young talent coming through the ranks? More world-class performances by our top surfers? More events? And more big waves?

You bet! 2011 is already shaping up to be an even better year than 2010 for the Irish Surfing. The consistent swell seems to continue into the last months of 2010 with lots of surf all the way up and down the coast daily. Plans are in place for a big wave event early next year Mullaghmore, which will showcase the best of Irish big wave surfers and an international selection of big wave competitors.

Bundoran Town aka The Surf Coast will be hosting the 2011 European Surfing Championships (23 September-3 October 2011). This is the third time the city has been hosting the event. The race was run here in 1985 and 1997. The Europeans next fall promises to be the best event yet with huge increased interest in surfing in Ireland across the board. Attendance from all of Europe's top surfers are guaranteed, and interest from the media and spectators have already begun to grow. Will Ireland be able to crown their first European gold medalists since Grant Robinson won gold for Ireland in the Masters Division at home in 1997? Let's hope so!

Whispers and rumors are also spreading like wildfire that Ireland will be hosting its first ASP / WCT World Pro event in the near future. Are the rumors correctly? Yes! ASP in conjunction with local authorities, associations and sponsors surf watching Bundoran as a possible destination for a stop on the World Tour. If the event get the green light we can expect to see all the world's elite pro surfer and world media hit our coast! Surfing is looking fresh and exciting for 2011-2012 on our shores, and I for one can not wait until next year!