Bodyboardercutsitwiththe bestintopHawaiiancontest
WHEN word filtered through to Seamus McGoldrick that he was invited to a top Hawaiian bodyboarder competition, he immediately began trying to find the necessary money needed to fund the trip. Seamus, from Strandhill, sought assistance from businesses in his community and he was able to make the dream trip a reality. Seamus explained: “The Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational is a sponsored event run by the nine- time World Bodyboarding champion who lives in Hawaii. I’ve been surfing all my life and I had never been to Hawaii before but I had been watching events there since I was a kid.
“It was a dream come true to get the invite to go over. The tour begins in February and travels to around eight stops worldwide, including South America, Australia, Europe and it finishes in October.”
Seamus revealed he would not have been financially able to fund the trip all by himself and instead he was supported by people and businesses in his local community.
“I think the big thing is with regard my journey that it was a result of all the people who supported me and made it possible.
“Once I go the invite from Mike Stewart and friends asking if I wanted to go, I had to raise € 4,000 in a short time, ten day in order to get to the event.
“It was a lot of money but from talking to people around Strandhill I knew it was possible. My sister told me to go for it so I contacted
Peter McCorry from the Dunes bar and we organised a music night and raffle with Rory O’Dowd, Ian Bordley and Emma Burke, among others. There was great support from the people of Strandhill, they’ve always been a big support and I had four gold sponsors, Go Strandhill, Magic Seaweed, Mammy Johnstons and Noc Carpentry. They were instrumental in making it possible for me to book the tickets, accommodation and go to Hawaii,” Seamus added. Once reaching his coveted destination, it was straight down to business for the bodyboarder, who has won numerous titles down through the years.
“I was the only Irish guy at the event, that was a big deal, competing with others from Puerto Rico, Australia, America and Japan. The waves were really good once I arrived on the first day so it was straight to the beach and the first heat. I came second in that heat, it was a four- man heat, so I was really happy with that.”
As the heats progressed, so too did the quality of the competitors. “In the third round heat I was up against three locals so that was going to be difficult. I felt I surfed well and I finished third in the heat. It meant I was eliminated but I still felt I did well,” Seamus said.
The fact the Sligo man was competing with some of the world’s top bodyboarders was even more remarkable given the fact he suffered a severe leg break last year.
“I was delighted I was able to surf the pipeline since breaking my femur a year ago and I cannot thank enough the local support that I got which helped me realise my dream.”
Seamus’s ambition doesn’t end there; he is being spurred on by the whole Hawaiian experience to look for more competitions to take part in around the world.
“I’m looking to go and find other world tour events to compete in, firstly the one in Europe. I’m also planning on going back to Hawaii on the tour and try and represent Ireland. I’m hoping by then that I will be fully recovered from injury. It will take a bit of effort but it should work out.”
Was his lifelong dream of reaching Hawaii all worth it? “I had an amazing trip to Hawaii. It was great to boost my profile and to just go and do it. Securing local and international support for the next one should be a bit easier because of that. The people of Hawaii are really nice, the waves are a good bit different to Ireland, although surfing in Ireland really stood to me. There were so many skilled bodyboarders there and for me to go and make a mark and get noticed was good. Hawaii was where the bodyboard was invented in the seventies so going back to its original place was great,” Seamus added.