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Easkey Britton

When you think of Irish surfing, there are a couple of things that spring to mind...the west coast of Ireland, pumping swells, changeable weather and for some of us, the years that we have been doing this sport and still loving it as if it were the first day, every day! But thats not too hard to imagine - the sea is different every day you venture into and onto it.

There is one family who have been in the Irish surfing game a very long time. This family is without doubt, the most

well known surfing family in Ireland, with dad and his brothers responsible for beginning surfing in Ireland all those years ago, the sons being surfing pioneers and the 2 daughters both ripping at their local breaks.

bigsurf.ie is privileged to have been able to get the oppertunity to interview one of those daughters. She shares her name with a famous Irish break off the West coast of Ireland, she has surfed the fearsome Teahupoo at the age of 16, she is 4 times National Champion (and counting), is the current British Universities Champion, has a host of well known sponsors, and is totally down to earth in her approach to everything she does. Take it away Easkey...

THE INTERVIEW - Easkey Britton

Who are you?

surfer / artisit / explorer / environmentalist...

Where are you from?

Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal

How many years are you surfing?

It feels like I`ve been doing it my whole life...probably got on my first real surfboard when I was about 5.

Where did you learn to surf?

My home beach Rossnowlagh, with my Mum, Dad and little sister, Beckey-Finn

If you pulled up to a beach and there was surf, but there was another beach a half hour drive away, would you go surfing there or drive on despite losing another hour of the day to driving?

It always feels like a sin to drive away from surf and burn up even more fuel in the process! I`d jump straight out and go surf.

Tell us about your surfboard quiver (size/shape/weight/shaper/etc.)

I`m not sure exactly how many boards I have, but quite a lot! Our house is a bit of a surf museum with boards everywhere, we all surf and ride different boards. I`ve even started to stash a couple of boards at friends houses abroad. l travel a lot and because the airline charges are so horrible it makes sense to do so. My quiver ranges from a 5`8 JP hybrid to an 8`6 gun, including my tow board and old faves of mine that I`ve almost ridden into the ground, but hold too many good memories to give away, like my little purple Nev board I rode at Teahupoo when I was 16! My regular all-round board is 5`10" x 17 3/4" x 2 1/16", shaped by JP.

Favourite Surf spot?

Nothing gets me more stoked than surfing my home break, the Peak, with my family and the local crew. Outside of Ireland there are too many to choose from, but I did get lucky enough to score the most epic Macaroni`s ever in the Mentawais. THATS AS GOOD AS IT GETS! Will never forget that session. The funnest wave in the world.

Who would be your surfing idol?

Hawaiian Aloha Queen, Rell Sunn

Favourite Surfing move?

Barrels, but I guess that`s more a whole zone. I love big close-out reos.

Ever Kitesurfed? Windsurfed? SUPped? Kayaked?

I had a really funny kitesurf in Lanzarote with my friend and world kite surf champ Kirsty Jones, so I was in good hands! We did this kinda skills-swap trip. She took me out on the windiest day on Famara beach. At first I just practised powering up the kite, I was strapped in but Kirsty still had a hold of me. Then all of a sudden a big gust of wind whipped me up into the air flying over everyone`s heads and I was skipping down the beach laughing my head off while everyone freaked out! I`d get dropped into the water like a ragdoll and then the kite would take off again. It`s a really big beach but there are rocks at the end of it...the power of the wind blew me away. I finally stopped laughing enough to unhook the kite and bring myself to a stop. Such a rush but a little scary!

I`ve tried SUP in Hawaii and at home in the summer. Nice way to cruise.

Do you tow surf?

My first time ever trying tow surfing I got pulled into a wave at the Cliffs, crazy! I didn`t plan on that, it all just happened, but it opened up a whole new world for me and I`ve since started training and trying out some of the reefs around Donegal, investing in equipment and I hope I get to do a lot more of it this season. My cousin Neil is such a great tow partner and we are learning lots from each other. It`s a whole other ball game.

Favourite Surf Video?

I`m still pretty blown away by Waveriders, it really captures the beauty of surfing in Ireland. I`m looking forward to the new girls surf movie.

Most Memorable Watersports Moment?
My first surf session at Teahupoo aged 16, that place blew my mind. And my first wave towing at Aileens.

Most WORST Memorable Watersports Moment?

Luckily I don`t have too many `worst moments`. I had a pretty bad knock when I was 13 surfing Mejillones on the North Track in Fuerteventura. My board smashed my face pretty good, cracked my cheekbone and I got about 9 stitches across my face. Not a pretty picture but I had just finished my open water diving course and had a medical check by this really good doctor, so I went straight back to him and he did a real good job. The teachers and kids were a bit freaked when I went back to school. My eye was completely red like a vampire for ages! I was just so keen to get back in the water and glad it happened on one of the last day of the trip so I didn`t miss any surf. I was such a hardcore little grom, haha!

Most surfers get hold-downs at some point. How do you deal with it?

It`s an inevitable part of surfing, a good challenge of your ability to roll with the ocean, learn her power. I try to stay calm, let my body go loose and go with it until it lets me up. There are a few times when I`m pulling on my leash and kicking hard for the surface, eyes open hoping to see the light on the surface.

Do you get scared?

I think if you didn`t get scared then why would you do it? You need to feel a bit of that fear, it`s what gives you the adrenaline rush. Learning how to use it, pushing your limits is often how your surfing real grows, those become the big moments of self-discovery.

Its only 2009 now, but what are your watersports goals for the rest of the year and into 2010?

Right now I`m looking forward to the long awaited winter season in Ireland with firing swells! I want to get to know my own coast a little better and put in as much time and training and preparation I can so I`m ready to get on the big swells when I can and go tow with my cousin and our friends. Hopefully sneak off someplace warm for a dose of warm water barrels too! And of course hit up a few comps to keep fine honing my surfing. Really though I just want to stay open to what the ocean throws at me and not make too many plans.

If you did not surf, what would you be doing?

I can`t imagine my life without surfing but when I was a little thing I was into everything; ballet, ju-jitsu, boxing, gymnastics, sculpture, art, athletics, diving...and still am! I always wanted to join the circus and swing on the trapeze too. I don`t know but probably something creative - dancing, martial arts expert, intrepid traveller, mountain climber...but I`m still doing a lot of different things that I love and I`m about to tackle a PhD in marine conservation, which has been influenced by surfing of course!

If another surfer cuts you up on a drop in, do you give a dirty look or roar French vocabulary at them?

It depends on the situation, if it was blatant or not. And where I`m surfing. I probably wouldn`t the first time, I would be bummed but it`s their bad karma, but if it happened again I sure as hell would tell them what I thought about their etiquette! Anyways, they`d be fool to try it at the Peak with Dad sitting at the top of the line-up on his Big Red! In the Mentawais this year it was great because we managed to get a priority system going at some of the breaks where everyone waited their turn for a wave and after that wave you went to the back of the line and worked your way up again. Sometimes you wouldn`t want that no.1 position because you had to go no matter what, even if it was a monster and you couldn`t blow it because everyone`s watching and waiting!

Any thoughts on the Irish surfing scene?

It`s different to anywhere else in the world, the culture, the climate, the uique and wild beauty of our coastline. It tends to breed real surf characters and chargers. It`s pretty hardcore to stick it out all year in Ireland and to dedicate yourself to it. It`s grassroots still but growing rapidly with people looking at how to make it there life, it`s getting more serious. It`s an exciting time right now to be a surfer in Ireland.

Where do you think Irish Surfing will be in 10 years time?

Wow, I already can`t believe where it`s at. It can only get bigger. God knows how crazy the waves will be that we will be

charging in 10 years time!

If there was one thing you wanted changed tomorrow about Irish Surfing, what would it be?

The frustratingly long period of flatness in the summer...but wait hang on a sec, I`ve just spotted a hell low in the charts

coming this week...so maybe I wouldn`t change a thing!

If you had to pick one, what would it be... a four wheel drive truck/jeep, a surf van, an estate car or a VW surf wagon?

Aaaaaw...tough one, I love those old school VWs...what to do...I`d have to able to sleep in it for sure. I have a cool little van I love already so it`s a toss up between a 4 wheel drive truck, which would be awesome for towing the jetski that weighs a friggin tonne, and the VW surf wagon, which would be so cool for road trips...

(Easkey emailed us a day later with a final decision on...the VW...good choice)

Friends tell you its going off at these locations. Where do you drive to...Strandhill, Bundoran, Tramore, Castlefreke, Aileens, Rosses Point?

Tramore, of course!

Thanks Easkey! Best of luck from us all at bigsurf.ie!

Be sure and check out Easkeys website HERE.

Credit where its due...photos of Easkey taken by Swilly (Animal tour shots), Bernard Testamale (Aileens), Sharpy (barrell).

Easkey Britton

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