Interview: Richie Fitzgerald

The waves have always been here ... Richie Fitzgerald© 2012 - surfworld.ie

For the past 20 years Richie Fitzgerald has been at the heart of the Irish surfing scene. The youngest of the famous Bundoran Fitzgerald surfing clan, Richie was one of the early pioneers of Ireland’s big waves, first paddling, then introducing towing to the Emerald Isle with his partner in Gabe Davies.

Now 37, and with a new child, Richie is one of the most respected and relevant surfers in the scene. He was recently part of the crew that discovered Prowlers and in-between running on of the West Coast's leading surf shops, Surfworld, still charges out Mullaghmore every time it's on.

We caught up with Richie to discuss the current Irish big-wave scene, the changes that have taken place since he started and the impact of the Billabong Tow In Session on his part of the world.

Can you describe the Irish big wave scene in general?

Look the waves have always been here, the crucial factor being that there is still a lot more to discover. You know I started to get into the big waves around 1990 and back then there wasn’t a lot of people of surfers into it.

There was just myself and Gabe Davies and Dave in the whole country really. And then the whole tow surfing thing started internationally in the late ‘90s or whenever it was. So then Gabe and myself started tinkering with tow surfing, mainly for Mullaghmore and a few other waves. It’s funny because as it was just us, we had no one to look at or learn from. It was a baptism of fire and a real trial by error. Like we had no clue even about the simple stuff. I mean we had no idea on even how long the rope was supposed to be, so we just worked it out as best we could and kept trying to find bigger waves to see what was possible.

On the day the tow event almost went ... Richie, Mullaghmore, 2011© 2012 - Roo McCrudden

How has it changed since those early days?

Of course it’s changed so much since then and it’s really great to see. There’s so much more international focus on the waves and the surfing, plus the Mully tow comp has added a whole new dimension. And then there is the young local surfers, guys like Fergal Smith, who have made big inroads in lifting the awareness and credibility of big wave surfing in Ireland.

For me those changes has been pretty phenomenal and overwhelmingly positive. It’s great to see the young guys now both tow surfing and also paddling into bigger and bigger waves. You know the paddling scene came first here and then came the tow stuff, but I see the tow complimenting the paddle and vice versa.

Some of the waves being ridden are amazing.

It’s a really good scene down there in County Clare especially and I just love seeing these waves getting surfed on the Irish coast. Whether I’m actually involved or it’s the local guys or even the international visitors, it’s great to witness the progression and development and long may it continue.

Are you keeping up with the groms?

Yeah I’m still hunting and I’ve always been a big advocate of staying physically fit, but you definitely go through stages. When you are young, you are so into it, watching the dvds and are really hungry. By the late 20s you start to slacken off, with everything else that goes in your life, be it work or family or whatever, but when I hit my 30s I really refocused. I saw that the scene was moving on so fast and although me and Gabe had initiated it and planted the seed it was just exploding. I still really wanted to be a part of it and with the young guys that were coming through pushing it, rather than get jealous or bitter, which can sometimes happen with the egos in surfing, I was actually inspired. If I see someone being successful or inspirational I would never want to drag them down. It does inspire me to get going and stay involved.

Look they say the youth is wasted on the young and may be it is, because now I feel I’m surfing better and am more fitter and more focused and more settled than ever before. I’ve a wife and child and being settled helps you focus more. I’m really enjoying my surfing and feel as confident in the last few years as I ever have and am really happy with the way my surfing is going.

Just don't look at the boil ... Eyes on the prize© 2012 - Girling

You came fourth last year the Tow in Session, how has that competition affected the scene over there?

The comp did focus the world again on this part of Ireland. The images were beamed around the world and I’ve heard, and I don’t know if this is true or not, that it was worth millions to the local economy. I think it’s a fundamentally a positive thing, a 100 per cent positive. It had great images and great waves. We had Benjamin Sanchis and Eric Rebeire come over and surf really well, plus we had some Aussies, South Africans, English and of course the local guys. So while Ireland has a really high level of surfing, I thinks its great that the international surfers can add to that level.

You know to sit in the channel after my heat and watch both the local guys and international surfers surf those waves made me feel so proud. I think it was a boost for both the Irish and European surfing communities. Even a year down the track its rare a day goes past that someone in the shop, or someone out in the surf doesn’t mention the comp, so it was just a tremendous event and truly memorable.

It can’t be easy trying to pull off a competition in Ireland?

Look it was all down to one man, Paul O’Kane. I mean hats off to Paul. He’s a tremendous guy and just puts his best forward to help other people. The comp was run safely and with no problems and the resulting imagery was incredible. Look you are not going to please all the people all the time, but his approach with the comp and the Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club is to push the safety aspects of tow surfing and make sure it’s a safer sport and that everyone who does it is aware and capable of the responsibilities that come with it. I’ve a huge respect for him and am very fond of him. And as as surfer he is still charging into his 50s. So fingers crossed he can make it all happen again this year.

Do you think it will run in the waiting period?

Look it can happen definitely. It’s looking likely, but I’m pretty sure we’ll wait for the best conditions possible. If those conditions don’t come, it’s not the end of the world, it will run next year and everyone will be even more excited and enthusiastic. We’ve had three or so swells that were pretty close, but with the bar being set so high last year, that’s a good thing as we want it to be epic. So whether it runs this year or the year after, it’s guaranteed to be a spectacular event.

Is it capable of more than last year’s conditions?

I’ve been watching and surfing Mullaghmore longer than anyone else and its capable of so much more. It really is. Its a phenomenal wave. I’ve seen it in every mood and I’ve seen some incredible surfers humbled, as I have myself many a time. Mully can get a lot bigger and a lot hollower and it will never close out. The bay at Donegal is 22 miles wide, so that’s never going to close out. And I’ve been out there in some colossal swells, some massive waves and when the wind is right it has the potential to have a massive massive day and hopefully the event can be held on one of those days. It’s a progressive thing, so we are not sure quite where it will head. But last year was no where near Mullaghmore at it’s best or maximum, it’s got way more to go. Hopefully I can be part of it.

Interview by Ben Mondy

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