47
NUKE
ALI
IRELAND RAMPS UP
WORDS: BEN PAGE
PICS: ALEX PAGE AND JOHN MICHELIN
MAGHEROARTY WAS THE PLACE THAT FIRST CONVINCED ME THAT WINDSURFING
SHOULD BE MORE THAN JUST A SUMMERTIME HOBBY. I WAS 19 AND JUST ABOUT TO
START UNIVERSITY. MY DAD WAS GOING ON A PETER HART COURSE AND I TAGGED
ALONG FOR THE RIDE. Back then I was a fair weather, flat water sailor and the place
completely opened my eyes. The incredible week finally culminated with me sitting
on the beach in awestruck wonder as Finn Mullen sailed the Magheroarty reef in
mast high, down the line perfection. We drove straight from the ferry port to
university and I moved into my new home with Irish salt still encrusted on my
eyebrows. Ever since, I’ve been looking for an excuse to go back.
Fast forward six years and, much to my parents’
relief, I’ve finally finished university and got an
actual adult job. Sadly, gone are the days when I
could skive off every time it was windy. But with that
has come some money to allow me to be a bit more
creative with the days where I don’t have to work. So
one month in, spurred on by the arrival of my first
proper paycheck, my mind started to wander.
As it turned out Dad was booked on the very same
Peter Hart course, this time with my younger brother
Alex. It seemed like it was meant to be. I had a
suitable window with annual leave and took it just as
the Atlantic started to show signs of stirring after a
long summer slumber. And so I rocked up at
Magheroarty, almost six years to the day since that
first trip.
It was raining. Obviously.
Fortunately the next day wasn’t raining. We had a
nice warm up session in some relaxed cross on
conditions before retiring to the pub. As is customary
on any windsurf trip, the conversation quickly turned
to forecasts. In this case it was looking particularly
promising. A mix of cross on and cross off with a
rapidly intensifying storm due to hit on my final day.
The week was one of extremes. The first was a
session at a different beach called Dooies. It was a
classic combination, light cross off wind with head
high waves. After a long summer of stresses with
exams, moving house and all that boring adult stuff,
it was great to be back windsurfing again. No
deadlines, nowhere I had to be, just sailing until my
arms were jelly. I love light wind, the clean wave
face, fighting to get out, bobbing around to find the
right place and the sudden acceleration when you’re
in the sweet spot and a set comes.
uk
WIND
SURFING