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From the Editor... 

Life throws you curve balls and whatever the opposite of that is with equal measure. Got to take the rough with the smooth and other such tired cliches.
For all the good times there comes bad. It's the rollercoaster of life which hopefully ends up with you somewhere in the positive.
Autumn has been delivering in spades at home and in Europe. A brace of great days in our isles and from Bundoran to Coxos the kind of red letter days that make anyone from those parts that isn't at home green with envy and longing. Yes, Gearoid, I'm talking about you. But seeing Donegal all over the Insty off it's face good while you stare out of a French window at ten foot onshore closeouts is understandably going to make you eat another pain au chocolate in glum resignation.
These are the swings and roundabouts of being a surfer. You go one place hoping to score and Mama Nature turns around and unleashes the good gravy on your home turf.
On those days where pretty much all of Europe is as good as it gets it's amazing to see the shots scroll past. Instant gratification lets you know how good places are but it also lets you know what you're missing.
So. Two sided coin that.
This slightly rambling editorial is in part inspired by extreme tiredness from running around after said waves and also by the down times that some of our crew here at Orca are going through. Good people hitting unavoidable rough patches in their own lives whom we can only support and be there for, no matter what.
It's been a tricky issue to bring together with key folk missing but curveballs are just that. You take a swipe at it and hope for the best.
Sharpy, Editor

Mental slab action in issue 173. Read on for more and while you're here subscribe!