Final Countdown!!

So the training is done, moves are down, fitness is as good as it's going to get...all that's left to do is dry off the gear, take a few days to chill out and then board a plane to Spain for World Championships number one; surf kayaking! 

I'm working on getting those lip moves a little higher, it's slow progress! Photo by Mike Barry.

Since the last update, after I had spent two weeks battling onshore winds before my tent eventually ripped in half in a storm, things have thankfully taken a turn for the better! Shortly after running away from Kerry the first time I was back there with Sheelagh, another member of the Irish Surf Kayak team who kindly lent me a tent and agreed to drive me around to go surfing! Thankfully this time the waves improved, the wind swung offshore and the sun came out so the training could really start in earnest! Aisling, Mick and Ant from the surf team also showed up at various stages and it was great to get some feedback going between everyone which really helped to develop the different moves that everyone was working on.

Sun, surf, Nissan Micra... What more do you need?!

Although we headed up to Clare for a bit of variety in the surf, and to swing by the Doolin Trad Music Festival, persistant westerly winds and a mediocre swell meant that the reefs we were hoping to get to surf never really worked. We kept busy all the same with things like rock climbing, caving and fishing but eventually called it quits and headed back to Kerry, where the curving beach of Brandon Bay picks up a lot of swell and offers more choices in westerly winds. In the end it was a great call and we got a few more days of great waves before deciding it was time to head back home and start preparing for the trip to Spain! 

So that's where things are at right now! The gear is outside drying off, the clothes are in the wash and I'm starting to really get excited about Spain! A few days now and we'll be chilling out in the sun, sipping cold beers after surfing in a new country; I can't feckin wait! 

In terms of life off the water over the last few weeks, one thing that's everywhere in the Brandon Bay area is really cool camper vans, from all over Ireland, the UK and even further afield; especially France, Germany and the Netherlands. Some of these vans have had awesome conversion jobs done to them and along with my experiences in the tent have really got me thinking about doing my one one over the next few months. Does anyone know of any companies who might be interested in buying advertising space on the side of a van that will travel to the majority of kayaking events in Ireland over the next few years?! The people who have brought all these great vans to Kerry, attracted by the surfing, windsurfing and relaxed pace of life down there, are all great to chat to and inspire great ideas for road-trips to the likes of Morocco and Eastern Europe! So any time over the next few days that isn't spent packing for Spain will probably be spent sketching ideas for the inside of a camper van and dreaming of the places that could be visited once it's finished!