Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Surfing Ireland's Monster Waves
“Surf’s up,” is rarely cried out in a thick Irish brogue. It is shouted even more rarely
on the Irish mainland itself—or so you’d expect.
As it turns out, one of the world’s most perfect waves was recently discovered off the coast of western Ireland and now, surfboards rolling off the carousal at Shannon Airport is no longer the unimaginable sight it once was.
This wave isn’t for everyone, however. It is one of this planet’s true monster waves, soaring 20-30 feet high and requiring a tow-in and death wish for those willing to ride it. Only about ten people have done so since last October but the wave, known as Aileen's, is attracting a lot of attention in the surfing world these days. Expect Hawaiian style surf tournaments to make their way here in the near future.
Part of the allure is the location of the wave that crashes just beyond Ireland’s famous Cliffs of Mohr. This amazing stretch of coastal cliffs is a rugged shot of nature and beauty that attracts more than a million tourists a year. I’ve stood on the edge of these cliffs and marveled at the crashing waves but thanks to the cold Irish weather, frigid waters, and rocky conditions, I simply could never have imagined someone would actually surf out there. But they are.
You can see for yourself in a short video clip here.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Niamh Apr 20th 2006 7:20AM
Believe it or not surfing is actually quite a popular sport in Ireland and there are great surfing spots all down the West Coast. Two Irish surfers were among the first to surf Aileens but the media either wrote them out of the story or showed them as two simple paddies who never would have attempted the wave without the more advanced foreign surfers. It's a really unfair attitude, people need to realise that Ireland has lots of great surf and surfers.