O’Neill Wetsuits have announced the launch of their Rookie Rippers program in Ireland for 2021. Ireland has some of the most wave rich coastline in the world but often gets overlooked with events as it’s a long way from the surf industry capitals. O’Neill has always been interested in cold water destinations and has already sponsored Sligo grom Tom Murphy but is also interested in helping more young talent. The Rookie Rippers event aims to highlight the up and coming groms in Ireland. The event is not just about crowning a winner but developing the youth scene. The events will use local coaches to help the kids during the event. Those who reach the finals will also win spots to an O’Neill sponsored Training camp as well as some great O’Neill rubber.
Dates
The Under 10s/12s event will run on the 18/19th September while the Under 14/Under 16s will run on the 30/31st October. The events will start if possible on the Saturday but could possibly run over the 2 days depending on conditions. Getting good conditions is vital so we will select the best day to run the contest with the possibility of running over both days. We will contact everyone in advance to let them know. There will be a €10 entry fee however we will wait to closer to the event to collect it. Pre registration is essential as to run the event successfully we may have to cap numbers.
Under 10/12s
The under 10s will be run as expression sessions with a focus on having fun and getting used to the concept of catching 2 waves in 20 minutes. It will also have an assisted category for mini groms who might need a little help. The focus of this event will be about having fun and introducing kids to competition surfing. The under 12 will be run as a normal contest with the best under 12s invited to enter the senior event later in the year.
Under 14/16s
The Under 14 and Under 16 events will run on 30/31st October. The winners of both categories will have a €100 voucher for O’Neill wetsuits/accessories. The finals of each event will be recorded and video analysed by a local surf coach to give each surfer feedback. On top of this each finalist will also be invited to attend an O’Neill sponsored training camp.
To run the event successfully we will have a limited number of entries so if you are interested please register ASAP. We need each child to be registered individually if more than one child in the family please register each child individually.
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/hpupEUB2exKCBsrSA
