Sea

In One Track Mind, a film by Chris Malloy, surfing greats sit down to talk about what has shaped their success--from their competition to their boards. You can watch Chris Malloy speaking with Kelly Slater and other surfers, and read a review of the movie, on EXPN. Outside covered the Malloy brothers in a 2007 cover story. Photo Mark Wankel
Surfing the giant wave Aileens off the Cliffs of Moher just off the Aran Islands is "like snowboarding down a big mountain" says John MacCarthy.
A Skipper Passes Thumbnail image for Pat Jennings.jpg PAT JENNINGS, known locally as at Pat Cheoinín and one of the last of a generation of Galway hooker skippers, has died at the age of 93. The poster, above, by artist Joe Boske features Pat Jennings who lived in Carna and Long Walk, Galway. The inset is his old Nobby . "Columbia" . Pat continued to fish and sail until fairly recently. His contribution, and that of his family, has been has been a vital part of the revival of the Hookers in Galway Bay. Dr Michael Brogan of the Cruinniú na mBád hooker festival in Kinvara, described Mr Jennings as "pivotal" to the revival of the traditional boat movement. he went on to call him one of the finest helmsman and sailmakers of his generation. Mr Jennings "maintained a link between the days of working sail and the traditional boat revival, and his knowledge of all aspects of traditional craft was unparalleled", Dr Brogan told The Irish Times. Mr Jennings grew up on Feenish island in Connemara and fished until he was in his 80s. He was a skilled sailmaker, competed at traditional boat events and made model craft. He was a "repository of knowledge on every aspect of traditional sailing and its cultural and linguistic heritage", said Catherine Jennings, neighbour and colleague in the traditional boat movement in Connemara. Pat's son, Mairtín was lost at sea, when an Aran vessel sank off west Cork several decades ago. . Belinda Baggs Patagonia's surf ambassador nose rides with grace Long May It Last Scotland Through the Viewfinder of Al Mackinnon Our surfing world is about the size of a thumbnail--we might not know each other first hand, but chances are we know some of the same people. So it didn't surprise me last fall when I was chatting with the lovely Aoeifa and Claire in a pub out in the west of Ireland and it turned out that their friend Tom (who charges the wave at the Cliffs) was a buddy of my friend Al Mackinnon, the British photographer. Al happened to be in the country just then and we hooked up for coastal explorations, making the most of the shredded North Atlantic conditions. The photography featured here showcases the Northern reaches in their finest form, and although it may seem very remote there's always the possibility that you'll run into someone you know... read more The snail, the Shark & the surfers In one of the most desolately beautiful parts of Ireland's rugged west coast, an ugly conflict is brewing between the American owners of a spectacular new golf links and surfers from around the world, attracted by the enormous Atlantic rollers crashing ashore. Although Doonbeg Golf Club caters mostly to wealthy American golfers, it was built with the help of of a £2.4m grant from the European Union in the face of intense opposition from environmentalists and locals objecting to the magnificent dune system being interfered with and access to the beach being curtailed. Membership, currently runs to about £20,000, and a lodge for members will have apartments worth more than $1m a piece overlooking the bay. A 'village' containing cottages, pubs, restaurants and shops is to come. The links was designed by Greg Norman, known as the Great White Shark. Set along a mile and a half of crescent-shaped beach encircling Doughmore Bay in County Clare, it is one of the toughest if most attractive links courses around. If it has a drawback it is that it is narrow and tightly circumscribed thanks to a noisy campaign by environmentalists that almost stopped the course being built. The discovery of a protected endangered species of snail, the Vertigo Angustior, on the dune system led to a tortuous battle with Brussels. Extensive lobbying of Irish politicians and the European Commission finally succeeded. To protect the snail an area of dune was declared out of bounds to golfers and an electric fence system was installed to keep them out. Unfortunately for the golfers, Doonbeg's fame among surfers is also growing. In the right conditions waves six feet tall thunder ashore in perfect heart-stopping pipelines. Last week, with only modest waves, it had attracted John McCarthy, an Irish champion surfer who runs a popular school at nearby Lahinch village. "When the waves are flat at Lahinch, we come here," he said as he brought a class of 15 learners out. "We were here before the golf course and I see no reason to stop coming." The problem for the golf club is that the right of way runs across the fairway of the 15th hole. The golf club says it doesn't mind surfers walking over its fairway - but it balks at as cars and tractors crossing the course. Three weeks ago matters came to a head when the club decided to erect a fence and gate to block the traffic. In response six locals then took matters into their own hands and removed the fence and encouraged people to drive across the course. There is now an uneasy truce while the courts adjudicate. The saga of the links, the Shark and the surfer is far from over.