Sligo surfer aiming for big year as he looks to become Nissan Generation Next ambassador
A talented Sligo surfer who is making waves as the only Irish competitor on the European circuit of the World Surf League is in the driving seat to become a Nissan Generation Next ambassador.
Nineteen- year- old Gearoid McDaid from Hazelwood in Sligo is now just one step away from getting his hands on the keys to a brand new, taxed and insured Nissan to drive for a year.
One thousand ambitious achievers applied to this year’s Nissan Generation Next ambassador programme and Gearoid is one of only 20 finalists put through to the public voting phase of the programme which supports Ireland’s new generation of leaders and champions to get ahead on their journey to success.
“I am delighted to make it through to the voting phase. Every vote counts and I hope that everyone in Sligo will support me and vote online. Having a brand new Nissan would really help to me to progress in the sport,” said Gearoid.
Gearoid has been surfing since he was nine years old. At 16 he became the youngest ever person to win the Men’s Irish National Championship, achieving the feat in 2013. He placed fourth at the European Junior Surfing Championship and 20th in the World Junior Championships in 2014 before reclaiming the national title in 2015.
His success gave him the confidence to set his sights on being a professional surfer and competing in the World Surf League throughout Europe. The League includes the World Qualifying Series which is the gateway to the World Championship Tour, which is the pinnacle of the sport.
“My aim in my first year as a professional is to break into the top 200 in the World Qualifying Series. The competitions within this series have different rankings and improving my ranking means that I will be able to compete in higher ranking competitions in 2017,” said Gearoid.
“My goal over the next four years is to compete on the circuits in Europe, America and Australia to get my surfing to a level where I can compete with the world’s best surfers. My ultimate goal is to represent Ireland should surfing be introduced as an Olympic sport at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games,” he added.
Gearoid is seeking a new Nissan to support his training in Ireland and to travel to events around Europe.
Local Nissan dealer Cooney Motors in Boyle, Roscommon is calling on everyone to get behind Gearoid and to support him during the online voting phase which is now open.
“Gearoid exemplifies what Nissan Generation Next is all about. He is determined to succeed on the world stage. It takes commitment and drive to be competitive on the European circuit and he has already shown his potential to compete with the best surfers at this level,” said Alan Cooney, Dealer Principal, Cooney Motors.
Those interested in voting for Gearoid or any of the other 20 Nissan Generation Next finalists can do so online by visiting www. nissangenerationnext. ie anytime up to Tuesday, 28th June 2016. The top seven vote- getters get to become Nissan Generation Next ambassadors, while the judges at Nissan will select a further three ambassadors for 2016.