Tiree’s Ben Larg surfs 30-foot wave in Ireland
Tiree teenager Ben Larg has surfed the wave of his life, braving a 30ft monster at Mullaghmore, Ireland.
Reigning under-18 Scottish Surf Champion Ben, 14, has surfed for Scotland in the Azores, Japan and Portugal, but has since been on a quest to surf a big cold-water wave in Ireland.
Working closely with Irish big wave surfing guru Peter Conroy and big wave surfer Ollie O’Flaherty, he has spent time over the last month training in Ireland.
After several failed attempts due to weather at Aileen’s, at the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, Ben took a trip to Mullaghmore, County Sligo to witness even bigger waves.
With an up close, behind the scenes introduction to the big wave surfing community, the forecast was perfect, and Ben was supported by big wave chargers Peter Conroy, Ollie O’Flaherty and Dylan Stott to surf a 30ft monster wave.
Ben said: ‘I’d told my Mum and Dad that I would just be watching so they didn’t come along but after a few hours watching from the jet ski in the channel, surfer Dylan Stott asked me if I wanted to be towed into a wave.
‘I couldn’t miss the opportunity to catch a wave. It was my dream to surf big waves in Ireland and I’m so happy I got to surf Mullaghmore.
‘I want to thank all of the Irish surfers I’ve met for helping me to do this. I can’t wait to surf more big waves in the future and hope that this can help me to attract a sponsor for the future.’
The 30ft wave he caught makes him the youngest person ever to surf a big wave at Mullaghmore, and may elevate him to the position of the youngest Scottish big wave surfer ever.
The wave was caught by film production company Urbancroft Films, which has been following Ben and his family for the last three years making new feature documentary, Riding the Wave. It follows Ben’s surfing journey, the highs and the lows and his search for big wave success.
The film has been supported by Screen Scotland and is due for release in 2020.
Producer and director of the film Martyn Robertson said: ‘We’ve been following Ben’s story since he was 12 and this wave tops off what was already an amazing story.
‘Ben and his family are completely inspirational and we’re really looking forward to completing the film and releasing it in 2020.’
Water safety guru Peter Conroy from the Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club said: ‘Surfing big waves is more of a mental thing than a physical thing. Having the right mind set and courage to face what could potentially hurt you is what it’s all about.’
Tiree Wave Classic officially got underway at the weekend.
With all fleets registered, the first thing on the agenda was Tiree Wave Classic event crew and competitors down at the beach for a mass beach clean as part of a new environmental initiative from the event.
Gavin Dunlop, event co-ordinator and competitor, said: ‘As a local on Tiree it is of utmost importance that we do our best to have a positive impact on our wild and beautiful beaches.’
For more on the event, see www.obantimes.co.uk and follow us on Facebook.