Story by Cornélius Accoh
Photos Yann Perez
Chipiron Team:
We arrive at our first house located a few kilometers from Easky (North/West coast) a little before midnight. There are sheep all around. Obviously who is the idiot who wants to go and see them more closely and who takes a big shock on the electric fence? It's me. The sheep must have said to themselves “he’s our rookie of the evening”. Welcome to Ireland.
DAY 1
Up at 8:30.
" breakfast ? »
“No, we don’t have time, we’re going for it!” »
So we trace in search of waves for our first session, in the cold to which we had lost the habit. Once on the road, we don't have time to go 1km before Damien shouts “Left!” ". So we listen to him, and Bingo, having arrived at the end of a more than doubtful path, a long left appears to our eyes which unfolds along a rocky overhang. The waves are beautiful, but we don't know the spot, the air is cold, the water is obviously not warm and seems as dark as Guinness. Of course there is no one there. But why are we here? To surf deserted waves in cold water, with a breathtaking landscape in the background. So it's time to get on with it. Less than 30 seconds later, Damien and I go surfing (we won't talk about the laborious launching on rocks very suitable for tobogganing as the algae which covered them were slippery...). After a good hour of surfing both waves, a guy shows up with a smile on his lips, happy to share his session with strangers. Coming out of the water, the man showed us a nice place popular with the locals for breakfast (hunger was starting to set in). He hadn't lied. We then replenish our stomach with large bagels well garnished with fish, vegetables and various cheeses, and a good, carefully prepared coffee.
But no time to chat, a second session is necessary, with a full stomach this time... We surf another straight line further south which goes so long that our legs hurt at the end of each wave. The few locals present tell us that the wave today is not working very well...
After a session in Ireland, the reward (yes it is an effort to put on a cold and wet wetsuit, and go surfing in this hostile environment) is Guinness. So we immerse ourselves in the local culture, we drink some of these tasty drinks then go eat in a small restaurant/bar typical of the country to end this first day. DAY 2
When we wake up, the landscape that presents itself to us is exactly the Ireland of our dreams: gray, with a few sparkling rays which pierce from time to time the black and compact clouds of this cold atmosphere that the wind likes to blow. maintain.
The time is no longer for sleep, but for action : surfing and the photos that we came here to seek. After some beans, sausages and scrambled eggs prepared by the host (Damien), we set off on an adventure.
Between meadows and fields of cereals, our car advances slowly thanks to the sudden stops of our artist Yann, shouting that “there is the photo of the century to be taken!” "After long searches through the often marshy meadows (and therefore with water in our shoes) we managed to find a wave which unfolded in a bay along the rocks and a little sheltered from the wind (there were more of 30 knots), and which has perhaps never even been surfed.
Once in the water we quickly understood why. What seemed to us to be a slight current instead made us think of a river in which we had to row with all our strength to manage to go less than 50 m, to catch a wave and find ourselves back at the starting point, row again for 10 minutes to manage to catch a second wave just as short (but no less pretty). A series shifts, the three of us do a duck, we move back 20m… “It’s okay, I’m going out, it’s annoying me…! » says Yann, out of breath. At least this way we have an excuse to get out of the water. In any case we surfed, we earned our Guinness. In the evening we return home, eat a hearty dinner, when the lights of the setting sun begin to shine. The most concerned of the three of us points his nose outside and tells us that it’s time to go shoot “these are lights from beyond!” he keeps telling us.
We head towards the ocean to find the ideal place for beautiful photos. You have the result before your eyes.
After a busy day, we have to rest, because the next day we leave for Bundoran, a small town located further north, in the hope of finding nice waves, the swell getting bigger. DAY 3
The direction of the swell makes us think that the Easky spot is good today, we want to surf one last time in this region before going to Bundoran.
Once there, the wind is off-shore and the swell is tidy, but too small, the waves are soft. We then decide to ride further south, in the hope of resurfing the wave from the first day, but it is also too small. After a third spot checked, we clearly realize that apart from Easky, few spots should work. We go back. And surprise, the waves had increased slightly and there were only two people in the water. The session is quite nice, the landscape is beautiful, and the sky is completely blue, a miracle for Ireland, where it rains 300 days out of 365.
With a clear conscience we can then drive towards Bundoran. On the road that takes us to our new home for the next few days, the photo stops or spot checks can no longer be counted. We then arrive at the house at the end of the afternoon and go to see the legendary big wave spot of Mullaghmore which is about 10 minutes away by car. The waves are not big enough to really identify the spot. We then simply enjoy the landscape, with this castle worthy of Hogwarts, set in the middle of the meadows, and even more impressive cliffs in the background. Night begins to fall, Guinness and a hot meal call us. We returned to our new adopted city, and discovered our house, which had not been heated for some time given the cold it was there. I'm trying to take a bath, which is on the first floor. “No hot water upstairs” Damien told me, also a little disappointed. So it will be a shower downstairs, a good meal, and bed.
Photos Yann Perez
Chipiron Team:
- Damien Marly aka Dams (surfer, shaper, founder and surf teacher of Chipiron),
- Yann Perez aka Morsay (surfer, real estate agent, owner of Woll beer, and photographer)
- Cornélius Accoh aka Coco (surfer and friend of the other two zigotos)
We arrive at our first house located a few kilometers from Easky (North/West coast) a little before midnight. There are sheep all around. Obviously who is the idiot who wants to go and see them more closely and who takes a big shock on the electric fence? It's me. The sheep must have said to themselves “he’s our rookie of the evening”. Welcome to Ireland.
DAY 1Up at 8:30.
" breakfast ? »
“No, we don’t have time, we’re going for it!” »
So we trace in search of waves for our first session, in the cold to which we had lost the habit. Once on the road, we don't have time to go 1km before Damien shouts “Left!” ". So we listen to him, and Bingo, having arrived at the end of a more than doubtful path, a long left appears to our eyes which unfolds along a rocky overhang. The waves are beautiful, but we don't know the spot, the air is cold, the water is obviously not warm and seems as dark as Guinness. Of course there is no one there. But why are we here? To surf deserted waves in cold water, with a breathtaking landscape in the background. So it's time to get on with it. Less than 30 seconds later, Damien and I go surfing (we won't talk about the laborious launching on rocks very suitable for tobogganing as the algae which covered them were slippery...). After a good hour of surfing both waves, a guy shows up with a smile on his lips, happy to share his session with strangers. Coming out of the water, the man showed us a nice place popular with the locals for breakfast (hunger was starting to set in). He hadn't lied. We then replenish our stomach with large bagels well garnished with fish, vegetables and various cheeses, and a good, carefully prepared coffee.
But no time to chat, a second session is necessary, with a full stomach this time... We surf another straight line further south which goes so long that our legs hurt at the end of each wave. The few locals present tell us that the wave today is not working very well...
We will come back to Ireland, we have decided!
After a session in Ireland, the reward (yes it is an effort to put on a cold and wet wetsuit, and go surfing in this hostile environment) is Guinness. So we immerse ourselves in the local culture, we drink some of these tasty drinks then go eat in a small restaurant/bar typical of the country to end this first day. DAY 2
When we wake up, the landscape that presents itself to us is exactly the Ireland of our dreams: gray, with a few sparkling rays which pierce from time to time the black and compact clouds of this cold atmosphere that the wind likes to blow. maintain.
The time is no longer for sleep, but for action : surfing and the photos that we came here to seek. After some beans, sausages and scrambled eggs prepared by the host (Damien), we set off on an adventure.
Between meadows and fields of cereals, our car advances slowly thanks to the sudden stops of our artist Yann, shouting that “there is the photo of the century to be taken!” "After long searches through the often marshy meadows (and therefore with water in our shoes) we managed to find a wave which unfolded in a bay along the rocks and a little sheltered from the wind (there were more of 30 knots), and which has perhaps never even been surfed.
Once in the water we quickly understood why. What seemed to us to be a slight current instead made us think of a river in which we had to row with all our strength to manage to go less than 50 m, to catch a wave and find ourselves back at the starting point, row again for 10 minutes to manage to catch a second wave just as short (but no less pretty). A series shifts, the three of us do a duck, we move back 20m… “It’s okay, I’m going out, it’s annoying me…! » says Yann, out of breath. At least this way we have an excuse to get out of the water. In any case we surfed, we earned our Guinness. In the evening we return home, eat a hearty dinner, when the lights of the setting sun begin to shine. The most concerned of the three of us points his nose outside and tells us that it’s time to go shoot “these are lights from beyond!” he keeps telling us.
We head towards the ocean to find the ideal place for beautiful photos. You have the result before your eyes.
After a busy day, we have to rest, because the next day we leave for Bundoran, a small town located further north, in the hope of finding nice waves, the swell getting bigger. DAY 3
The direction of the swell makes us think that the Easky spot is good today, we want to surf one last time in this region before going to Bundoran.
Once there, the wind is off-shore and the swell is tidy, but too small, the waves are soft. We then decide to ride further south, in the hope of resurfing the wave from the first day, but it is also too small. After a third spot checked, we clearly realize that apart from Easky, few spots should work. We go back. And surprise, the waves had increased slightly and there were only two people in the water. The session is quite nice, the landscape is beautiful, and the sky is completely blue, a miracle for Ireland, where it rains 300 days out of 365.
With a clear conscience we can then drive towards Bundoran. On the road that takes us to our new home for the next few days, the photo stops or spot checks can no longer be counted. We then arrive at the house at the end of the afternoon and go to see the legendary big wave spot of Mullaghmore which is about 10 minutes away by car. The waves are not big enough to really identify the spot. We then simply enjoy the landscape, with this castle worthy of Hogwarts, set in the middle of the meadows, and even more impressive cliffs in the background. Night begins to fall, Guinness and a hot meal call us. We returned to our new adopted city, and discovered our house, which had not been heated for some time given the cold it was there. I'm trying to take a bath, which is on the first floor. “No hot water upstairs” Damien told me, also a little disappointed. So it will be a shower downstairs, a good meal, and bed.