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Ireland's fierce and unpredictable breaks have been valued by its home-grown big wave riders for some years now, but competition has been a long time coming. All that changed with the inaugral Mullaghmore Tow Session 2011. Conn Osborne got in harm's way to steal a photo essay.

Tucked away at the top of a hill near Gwenver beach in Cornwall, Skewjacks was the definitive 1970s surf camp. Drift took four of its founding fathers - Dicky, Harvey, Jamo and Mickey - to the pub and reminisced about good times gone by. Words: Jamie Bott Credit & thanks to Graham Shephard & Mel Sedgwick

Meeting a legend is something few people have the opportunity to do. During a short stay in California last winter Dave Muir created his own luck in finding Skip Frye at home. He was welcomed in to take a look around. Words: Dave Muir Photos: Dave Muir and Skip Frye

Drift caught up with big-wave surfer Carlos Burle on home territory in Brazil to find out why he considers big-wave riding to be a playground for the few who have earned the privilege. Photos: Al McKinnon

James Bowden recently explored the farthest shores of the British Isles, taking nothing more than his van, good friends and good expectations. He recounts his journey through the lens...

Native alaia surfers

July 19, 2009 | Words By: Tom W

photo-by-ernie-higginsI love this discovery of a native crew that has been surfing independently of the Western World.

There are two comments I would like to make about the surfing: first, what style. These kids have GREAT posture on the board. The photos do not express the speed they are going – those boards are FAST, and they’re infinitely harder to ride than a foam fun shape.

Second, look at how they paddle into a wave. One arm is paddling while the other is pushing the nose down. This is to get reverse rocker in the nose so the board slides into the wave early. Watching them reminds me of the scenes in ‘Endless Summer’ when the boys went surfing with the natives in Ghana (I think it was Ghana) and all the kids had to try the boards. Then the older guys hoped on and they were paddling into the waves the same way – one hand paddled while the other was pushing the nose down.

This is the way you do it with thin wood boards. It looked silly on the foam boards, but it definitely suggests that the natives had been surfing like the crew in these photos.

       

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