This weekend the second surf kayak competition of the year was held in Clare. I missed the first one since I had to study so I had been looking forward to this competition for a while. We met up in Dougmore on Saturday morning but since it was big, messy and onshore we headed up the coast to Hegartys where it was cleaner and a lot more attractive looking. I was up in the first heat, which was a straight final for the ic since there were so few people entered. Since I was on the water a few minutes early for the heat I had time to paddle right out to the furthest out break a couple of hundred metres offshore and figure out exactly where the best take off spot was. I got lucky too, the first wave I caught was one of the biggest set waves to come through all day and it kept walling up all the way to the inside before it backed off, easily the longest wave I've ever caught in my life! This, and another smaller wave that I managed to throw an end move off the close out section on, meant that I finished in first place.
The first round of the hp event didnt go as well. At Hegartys you have a choice of either paddling out through the break or against a massive rip and while the ic boat had the speed to make it out through the break line between sets the hp boat didnt, and I spent most of the heat getting battered around on the inside. Fortunatly everyone else in the heat had the same problem, and the few small waves that I managed to catch were enough to get me through to the final. The final though was a completly different story. The heat was only started when everyone was out back and ready to go and I caught one savage wave right at the buzzer which left me in a great position for the rest of the heat. For the other too waves I caught in the heat everything went perfect. I managed to hit the lip every time it walled up, cut back every time it backed off and whenever it sectioned off I was able to float over it and make it back to the open face. I think I even managed to air off one or two of the close out sections! I dont think I've ever paddled that well in competition before and I won the final, delighted!
Add all that to a decent night out in Lahinch Saturday night and a pretty fun free surf at Spanish Point Reef on Sunday it was one savage weekend! Looking forward to the next event now, only between the leaving cert, and going away for the summer god knows when thats going to be!
Me going for a floater
Brendan bouncing in
