12PROFILE FINN MELLON
MELLON
USAGE
Tell us firstly where windsurfing all started for you . When and where did you get into it and what keeps you hooked ? It all started off with my dad , Niall Mellon . It took me quite a long time to get into windsurfing . I was more of a football fanatic but Dad would persuade me to come sailing by giving me ice creams – effective method ! My Dad was a highly qualified instructor for years so I was and still am super lucky to have him behind me . I learned on a pond near my house . I found starting off pretty tricky and hard work but once I got planing I was hooked and have been hooked ever since then ! What keeps me coming back is the excitement of wave sailing . For me , nothing beats getting right under the lip and smacking it .
Give us an overview of your local sailing area . What ’ s good about it , what ’ s not so great and what options do you have based on conditions ? I live in Brandon Bay in the south west of Ireland . When it works it is a wave sailing heaven . We have seven miles of golden sandy beaches which can offer you every type of sailing you could want . It is a semicircular shaped bay allowing access to all wind directions from offshore to onshore . The only negative is it is not very consistent . It is hard to get multiple days in a row the same like you do in the Canaries for instance . Also the winter often gets too much wind , swell and rain !
WORDS : FINN MELLON PICS : ALL PICS NIALL MELLON UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED FINN MELLON HAS AN IDYLLIC WINDSURFING LIFE . BASED ON THE DINGLE PENINSULA , IRELAND AND HAVING BRANDON BAY , PLUS SURROUNDS , AS HIS WINDSURF / SURF PLAYGROUND IT ’ S NO WONDER THE YOUNG RIPPER IS TURNING HEADS . We caught up with Finn following his recent stint in the Canaries , having had a dig at both PWA events in Pozo , Gran Canaria and Cabezo , Tenerife .
Who ’ s your sailing crew and how do they contribute to your overall windsurfing experience ? In winter my sailing crew is very limited , most of the time it is only my Dad and I . I am lucky to have my Dad sailing by my side all the time . Dad and I are pretty competitive so it means we are always trying to out sail each other . I believe it is essential to always have someone that will push your sailing . My Dad acts as a coach to me . We spend a lot of time on the beach filming or taking photos sailing or surfing and then we analyze the footage to see how we can improve .
You ’ re known as a wave sailor predominantly but do you dabble in other areas of windsurfing , if so what ? I surf a lot , does that count ?! I want to spend more time learning freestyle as there is such a big cross over between the two windsurf styles when sailing places like Pozo .
WIND
uk
SURFING