Editor’s Note: These pieces are intended to offer a deeper look into each episode of surfer Fergal Smith‘s Line9 series, Growing, a new clip published every two weeks. The series is a year in the life of Smith and his brother With a new clip published every two weeks, the series follows them as they take a step back from the rat race while spending days tending to a sustainable garden and surfing the readily available Irish slab.
Author’s Note: My main reason for doing this series is for showing the what else I’m passionate about — aside from surfing — and to try to promote all the good, positive things that people are doing.
My brother Kevin has been filming for the last three years and in that time I have been surfing lots of interesting boards. So we thought it would nice to show these boards in a little edit. I really enjoy surfing wacky but simple boards and they seem to be all that I want to surf. I enjoy trying all different types of crafts cause it opens my mind to different lines or just a new sensation. When I take out boards even if they are not totally suited to the waves it always teaches me something new.
I have been riding functional boards for heavy waves for years and they have given me many great waves, but I feel riding different boards makes the surf far more interested and exciting. It brings me right back to the basics in surfing, your positioning, timing, etc.
I like trying to ride these different boards in heavy waves and seeing how they flow. I find most people enjoy riding wacky boards if they give them a go, but usually only stick to fun waves and then pull out there standard board for when the surf gets good. I enjoy surfing different shapes in smaller fun waves too but I have found they actually need a good wave to really get them going and feel what they are really all about.
I am much more grounded in Ireland and in Clare in particular. I surf and live by the waves so I feel I have more of a connection to the waves then ever before. By being more in touch with the place I live and the waves around I started to have more faith in what can be done on the waves. I have dreamed about riding different boards on the special waves we get from time to time, its what keep me exited anyway.
The cool thing about this series as its every two weeks we are putting out clips regularly and need a lot of different music. It’s really nice to involve friends that are musicians. In this clip the music is by a friend from home in Westport Derrick McLoughlan, he was watching some of Kevin’s footage he had shot and asked could he compose something to go with the clip. I love the simplicity of Derrick playing the piano, and I am very thankful to him for doing that for us.
I am not trying to get people to ride different boards or anything but I do think its always nice to experiment and just see how something else feels under your feet, there’s no rules out there…
I was very focused on chasing heavy waves and that’s all I was interested in for quite some time. I definitely feel I have changed in how I enjoy surfing. I am still out there on heavy days like before, but now its often on something a bit more exciting. I have opened my eyes to all kinds of crafts and I buzz on seeing how they go.
The next clip is going to be about my best mate Eamonn who makes cool things out of wood. I hope you like the little clips we are making.
More than four boards. And no piano. Photo: Kevin Smith
