Irie is the latest addition to the Pit Viper Team. Photo: Ray Blas.
Editor’s Note: This feature is presented by our partners at Pit Viper.
Irie Fitzgerald is living the good life when it comes to teen freesurfers. At 18 (19 in two weeks) she lives on the south shore of Oahu, is sponsored by Tokoro Surfboards, Syndicate Japan, and of course, Pit Viper. She attends college online, and when winter comes, she takes her 1969 Chevy van to the North Shore so she can surf without “paying for the most expensive Airbnb of (her) life.” Last year saw Irie dip her toes into the big-wave scene for the first time as a part of the Red Bull Magnitude contest, and she has her sights set on towing Jaws in the near future. I got to chat with the youngster about that big wave surfing debut, van life, and how she landed her Pit Viper sponsorship. Read on below.
This has been a pretty big year for you. First Red Bull Magnitude, First Triple Crown. Where are you hoping to take things in the next year?
Well I basically started surfing big waves last year right before the contest, so I really want to push that next winter. As far as big waves go, I’ve only surfed Waimea. I really want to try to surf Jaws if I can make it happen. I just need to find someone that can teach me how to tow. Competing in Red Bull Magnitude opened a new world of surfing for me. I really want to focus on big waves.
I also feel like it fits my style of surfing. I’m a pretty well-rounded surfer. I can ride longboards, shortboards, twin fins, and put style into it all. Adding big wave surfing was just checking off a box at first, but I’ve realized I also enjoy it. I love the adrenaline and I totally didn’t expect the level of support I got when I started, so that was super awesome to experience.
“Adding big wave surfing was just checking off a box at first, but I’ve realized I also enjoy it.” Photo: Irie Fitzgerald.
So, Jaws this season?
I’m still building up my courage. I want to go surf Himalayas first. I mean, I’ve been doing this big wave thing for such a short time. I started surfing Waimea probably a month and a half before I entered the contest. I was still learning to surf big waves during the event. It was such an awesome experience, though. I got to borrow someone’s larger single-fin Waimea board, got out on a bigger day, and caught three waves and got out before I was stuck out there. Jaws is different though. It’s scarier and harder and the whole towing thing is just different. You really have to train for it and everything beforehand. I’m excited to see more young people like myself getting out there though, it’s super inspiring.
What have you been up to this summer?
I’ve been on Oahu mostly. I went to Fiji actually at the beginning of the summer because my dad lives there now. I got to surf Cloudbreak, and it was actually really fun. Kinda like a chill, relaxed, “have-fun” surf trip. I surfed at Cloudbreak for two days then stayed with a friend more towards the middle of the island and surfed all the spots around there. Then I stayed with my dad in the city and surfed there too. The whole trip I was fiending for new waves, so I was like, “I wanna surf a new spot, I don’t care if it sucks I just wanna go!” I surfed basically everywhere on the island.
How have the waves been at home? It feels like the south shore has seen some pretty good swell this summer.
Good! I’ve been surfing Kewalos a lot because I live really close and since I’ve been putting in my time there, I’ve been able to get more waves. But on the bigger swells I’ll go to Bowls because Kewalos doesn’t really hold as well. It’s more competitive, but most of the time I’ll just sit on the shoulder and wait for a nug to come through and then swoop into the crowd and take it. [laughs] A couple of the uncles out there know me too and one of the Smith brothers that bodyboards, he’s always out there on the big swells and will call me into waves.
“I can ride longboards, shortboards, twin fins, and put style into it all,” says Irie. Photo: Ray Blas.
Tell us a bit more about your new sponsorship with Pit Viper. How did it all go down?
It’s actually a pretty funny story. I was at a friend’s birthday and she was wearing Pit Vipers and I thought they were super sick and sorta became obsessed with them. My dad bought me a couple pairs for my birthday and I treated them like my babies. One of my friends from Northern California helps them with their events. I was talking to him one day and asked him who I should talk to about sponsorship. He gave me someone’s email, and I sent them an essay about why they should sponsor me. Basically just fan-girling and saying that Pit Viper sunglasses shouldn’t just be for motorcross, a lot of people wear them at the beach and being a surfer, I actually do things on the beach instead of just sitting. They liked it and sent me my first Pit Viper package with a ton of sunglasses. And now a year later I’m getting further into the team. I just joined their Key Players program a month ago to start producing content for them. I also just wear them a lot in general. It’s awesome because it started off with a brand that I genuinely liked and then I somehow got onto their team.
They’ve got to be stoked with your push into big wave surfing. That seems like it fits the Pit Viper mentality pretty well.
Yeah, it totally fits. I think they appreciate that I’m super random but also have a good sense of style. I drive a 1969 Chevy van, and sometimes I’ll film content for them in it. It’s just fun.
“North Shore ride” includes inflation vest, Tokoro gun and Pit Viper sweatshirt. Photo: Irie Fitzgerald.
Is that your around-town sort of ride?
It’s actually my North Shore ride. I bring it down there during the winter season and camp out in it so I don’t have to be paying for the most expensive Airbnb of my life. I’ve had the van for a year and a half now. It popped up on Craigslist with a new engine with only 8,000 miles on it. The interior was stripped, and there was no rust anywhere so I sold my car and bought the van. Everyone keeps telling me to build it out but I’ve just got this mattress that folds into a couch in there and don’t really want to do any more because it is a 1969 van. Who knows how long it’s gonna last? And the mattress works great and feels super spacious. I can even fit my dirt bike in there if I want.
What’s next on the list for you? Any surf travel?
Not too much. I’m heading to California soon for the Super Girl Pro contest in Oceanside. I love that event. They have the best snack bar ever.
