Blackrock, Dublin
The pub is busy – Dee and I are sat on a large sofa near the fire, it’s super comfortable and feels new; this is definitely the best seat in the house. It’s only 6.30pm and we’ve already been here for 2 hours. We are 3 pints in and so warm and content we can’t muster the enthusiasm to check out any of the other reputable establishments in the area. We’ve been in Ireland for 2 weeks travelling the Wild Atlantic Way, a 2500km trail which starts on the most Northerly point on the island … the “Inishowen Peninsula”, and then winds down the Celtic Sea Coast to County Cork. Focusing on the “Surf Coast” section of the trail we drove (in Dee’s van) from Donegal Town to Erris, recently voted the best place in Ireland “to go Wild!”. Our adventure has taken us to some of Irelands most famous surf locations – Bundoran, Strandhill, Easkey and Enniscrone.
I’ve been in contact with Guy for over 4 years now and I know how much he loves it here because he’s always talking about it and I now understand why; this is a beautiful, magical country and the people are so friendly and welcoming. I called him when we first arrived and we have spoken a few times since. When we last spoke this morning he was at work in London.
- What’s up!
- Ah, just working. How’s it going? where are you now?
- Dublin
- Sick! The great Dub. We’ve had a few massive sessions there. Last time we saw the Foo Fighters … rad! Are you on the ferry tomorrow then?
- Yes, but we’re definitely coming back
- I knew you’d say that. It’s so cool isn’t it
- It is. So come on then, what have you been up to?
- Oh mate, it’s been epic; We went to Prague for the first time, sick! Didn’t realise how cool it is. Then we went to Denmark with work and stayed in this new super modern hotel with hardly anyone in it. The bar was really cool, minimalistic, neon lighting, leather furniture and glass everywhere. We ended up drinking flaming Sambucas and eating olives with a businessman from Munich … I don’t even like olives haha! Then we went to Sri Lanka again. Amazing, such a rad place. We did a safari in Yala, it was so funny, our driver picked us up at 4.30am and then it was a race in the dark down the wrong side of the road in a souped up Toyota HiaLux in an attempt to get to the park before anyone else. So, we get inside the park and he’s just flooring it everywhere getting full air over these massive dirt jumps. We only really stopped once when 2 elephants decided to hang out in the middle of the track right in front of us, so beautiful, so close you could almost touch them. We travelled around the whole South of the country and the waves pumped everywhere we went; my cousin was staying in a village near Matara, his mate has got a boat and for 2 days we surfed these epic secret spots all to ourselves. One afternoon we jumped off the boat at an amazing right, the waves were hitting the reef at a slight angle and then wedging up and peeling flawlessly for about 100yds into the channel, so perfect.
- So what have you got coming up?
- I’m not sure. I just wanna surf as much as possible haha!! We’re in Ireland in a couple of weeks, I love it there in Spring, it’s light until about 11pm and there’s not normally many surfers around. Then I’ll be at home for a few weeks and then we’ve got tournaments and training camps in Spain June and July. We’ll be in Newquay in August … I love it. Loads of rad people just passing through. It’s so cool. I’ve gotta go to Germany again with work in September and then we’re back in Spain. I don’t know after that, whatever it will be fun.
…and I believe him because whenever I speak to Guy he’s always happy and excited, its infectious and I know that whatever he’s doing he’s guaranteed to be having fun.