This long left point in remote Indonesia works best on small to medium swells, and can max out pretty easily during the dry season. This edit was filmed over a few days in June during a window of large swell, with some of the competitors of the Krui Pro contest taking it on.
“My Dad always says that the west coast of Ireland chooses its people.” (Rory O’Dowd).
This is our attempt to explore the ways in which the surfers of the west coast of Ireland live and experience the ocean. We have collected stories from first-hand interviews as well as surf photography, film work and art.
Based on PhD research by Dr. Frederique Carey, we offer a little insight into the Irish surfing culture and its “surflore”. We show how Irish surfers’ expressive body of culture intertwines personal passions with environmental and social dimensions, and how it draws from Ireland’s ancient bardic traditions, popular culture and poetry… where legends and myths are always but a few words away.
A huge thank you to Rory O’Dowed, John & Neil Byrne, Ollie O’Flaherty, Joe McGowan, Aaron Reid, Owen Murphy, Adam Cross, Josh McRea, for taking part in this short taster of whats to come … along with many more whom we interviewed for their contributions to both the completed and now published research!
We are now aiming to turn this into a full-fledged documentary series sharing their stories!
After navigating troubled waters with a global pandemic and a young family to rear, this has been a long time coming but it is now ready to be shared and we look forward to your reviews!
Pockets full of water productions @pocketsfullofwater
Carissa Moore (HAW) and Filipe Toledo (BRA) won the Oi Rio Pro Presented by Corona, Stop No. 8 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT). The competition finished off in spectacular fashion in front of a huge crowd at Praia de Itaúna in Saquarema, Brazil. Five-time WSL Champion Moore defeated Johanne Defay (FRA) in the Finals, while Toldo took out rookie Samuel Pupo (BRA), to earn his third-straight event win in Saquarema and his fourth overall at the Oi Rio Pro.
Carissa Moore Wins Oi Rio Pro, Clinches a Spot in the WSL Final 5
Current World No. 1 Moore has been consistent throughout the 2022 CT season with three 2nd place finishes in addition to her 1st place result in Saquarema. Today’s win marks the 25th CT victory of her career and she now has her sights set on another possible World Title at the Rip Curl WSL Finals at Lower Trestles from September 8-16, 2022.
In the Final, Defay got off to a strong start, earning a 7.50 (out of a possible 10) on solid backhand surfing on the predominantly lefthand waves in the 4-6 foot range at Praia de Itaúna. She followed with a 4.83 for a 12.33 total (out of a possible 20). Moore, on the other hand, had two mid-range scores of a 5.50 and a 5.93 with the clock ticking down. But on the last wave of the heat, Moore blasted consecutive backside hacks with speed and progression to earn a 9.50, the highest score of the event in the women’s division.
“This is one of my favourite wins in my whole career,” said Moore. “Coming up against my good friend Johanne Defay is always difficult. She got me in G-Land and I really feel like she’s the one to beat this year. I was behind in the whole heat and I thought that I was probably going to get another 2nd place here, but things went my way. I’ve just had such an incredible week at a house with all my friends, the crowds have been amazing, and I’ve felt a lot of love and support here, so I think that’s what made it even more special.”
In addition to her victory, Moore was able to clinch a spot in the WSL Final 5, extending her lead in the rankings over Defay, Lakey Peterson (USA), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Brisa Hennessy (CRI).
“Wow, I didn’t even know it was possible here, but I’m really, really stoked,” said Moore. “That’s really cool, it takes some pressure off. That’s awesome, sweet!”
As was the case with the majority of the athletes competing at the 2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona, there was an exhilarating feeling at the event brought by the energy and stoke provided by the most passionate and avid surf fans in the world.
“It’s great to make it to the Finals. But it’s the fans that make it so special,” said Defay from the Award Ceremony.
Toledo Earns Third-Straight Victory in Saquarema
Toledo is now being referred to as the “King of Saquarema” after winning his third-consecutive event in Saquarema and four total victories at the Oi Rio Pro. After two throwaway scores, Toledo boosted the biggest backside air rotation of the event for a perfect 10-point ride. Toledo also caught one of the longest barrels of the event and added a quick air-reverse on the closeout section for an 8.67. Toledo was unstoppable in the Finals and his torrid pace resulted in an 18.67 total, the highest of the event.
“I feel completely blessed for being in this position and sharing this moment with my family, friends and this amazing crowd,” said Toledo. “I want to congratulate Samuel (Pupo), Yago (Dora) and Italo (Ferreira) who all made it to the Semifinals. It was a historic moment for us Brazilian athletes and the crowd was a class act, showed love to everyone on Tour and made this one of the most magical events ever.”
With his victory today, Toledo has equaled the record set by Dave Macaulay (AUS), who earned four CT wins in Brazil in 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993. Toledo’s incredible three consecutive wins came in 2018, 2019 and 2022 in Saquarema, with his first coming at the Oi Rio Pro in 2015 at Barra da Tijuca.
Samuel Pupo made it to the first Final of his career on the Championship Tour against Toledo. As a rookie, the young high-flyer had spectacular performances throughout the Oi Rio Pro, taking down big names such as Caio Ibelli (BRA), Mateus Herdy (BRA), and Italo Ferreira (BRA) on his way to the Finals.
“Filipe started with a 10 on a wave that I could have blocked because I had priority. He went left and I ended up going to the right,” said Pupo. “Afterwards, it was difficult to recover because the sea calmed down and not many waves came through, so it seemed that everything was going in his favor. But I’m really happy I made the Final. For sure, this is the best day of my life, but the year is not over and I already really want to compete again. I can’t wait to go to J-Bay and do my best there,” completed Pupo.
Toledo and Moore Also Win Inaugural Mano Ziul Award
In what was one of the most emotional moments of the Oi Rio Pro, the inaugural Mano Ziul Award was presented to honour a visionary and pioneer in the sport of surfing. The recently deceased Mano Ziul was able to provide the first webcasts for contests, bringing the most remote locations into the audience’s living room. His creation of the scoring system has been a fundamental part of competitive surfing ever since it was created. To honour his memory, the Mano Ziul Award was given to the men’s and women’s athletes with the highest heat total of the event at the Oi Rio Pro.
Mano Ziul’s family, represented by his wife Sandra and his children Luiza and Ziul (Ziulzinho) Andueza presented the trophies to Carissa Moore for her 15.43 total and Filipe Toledo, who earned an 18.67 total, both in the Finals.
“I want to dedicate this victory to Mano Ziul, who is up there watching us all right now. This win should be celebrated by all of us for everything he has done for the sport of surfing,” declared Toledo from the award ceremony.
2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona Women’s Final Results:
1 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.43
2 – Johanne Defay (FRA) 12.33
2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona Men’s Final Results:
1 – Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.67
2 – Samuel Pupo (BRA) 10.73
2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona Women’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Johanne Defay (FRA) 12.16 DEF. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 9.67
HEAT 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.60 DEF. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 11.77
2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona Men’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 11.44 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 10.83
HEAT 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.36 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 15.34
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Thank You Mother is a cinematic journey of surfing, simplicity and appreciation. It is a film that isn’t afraid to be beautiful, stylish and sincere. Produced by needessentials, this film by Torren Martyn and Ishka Folkwell that features an original soundtrack by Nick Bampton and narration by award winning Australian film maker and life long simplest Albert Falzon, who made the seminal 1970 surf film ‘Morning of the Earth’.
‘Thank You Mother’ was made four years ago and up until now has only been available to a small audience. The film began as a story about the act of creating a surfboard and the art of riding one, exploring the connection between surfer Torren Martyn and his friend, mentor and surfboard shaper Simon Jones of ‘Morning of the Earth Surfboards’. This naturally led to the doorstep of another friend and mentor, Albert Falzon and the film became more about connection, creativity and friendship, about surfing, being happy, and living simply.
Shot on location in South Africa, Indonesia and Australia, Ishka Folkwell’s original and artful approach to film making captures something of the essence of these places, bringing them to life on screen. Nick Bampton’s original musical score was composed for the film, so as Torren Martyn glides with style and power, carving beautiful lines into clean walls, the music echoes the mood and rhythm of his movements perfectly. Perhaps the most powerful element of this creative collaboration between surfers, shapers, filmmakers and musicians is the truth and beauty of Albert Falzons reflections on life. With humility and charisma he offers viewers the keys to a life of contentment, explaining that happiness comes not from having more or being the best, but from having good friends and being kind. ‘Thank You Mother’ is a film that celebrates appreciation of the simple things and stays with viewers long after they have watched it.
The boss (Fanning) made an appearance and showed everyone how it’s done. The waves were small but a few fun ones coming through, hit the link to watch the wave wizard at work.
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Griffin Colapinto (USA) won the Surf City El Salvador Pro Presented by Corona, Stop No. 7 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT). The competition finished the Semifinals and Finals in three-to-five foot waves at the famed right-hand pointbreak called Punta Roca, also known as La Punta or Punta Chilama. With their victories today, Gilmore and Colaptinto both move into the WSL Final 5 on the road to the Rip Curl WSL Finals. Seven-time World Champion Gilmore’s win marks her 33rd CT victory, breaking her own record for most women’s CT wins.
Gilmore Makes History Again, Breaks Her Own Record With 33rd CT Win
To capture her 33rd CT victory, Gilmore defeated Lakey Peterson (USA) in the Final, Caroline Marks (USA) in the Semifinals, and Isabella Nichols (AUS) in the Quarterfinals. The seven-time World Champion showcased incredible surfing throughout the event and capitalized on her affinity for right-hand point breaks. Gilmore now moves up to the WSL Final 5 in third place from seventh, putting her campaign for her eighth World Title back on track.
“Muchas gracias, El Salvador, this is amazing,” said Gilmore. “Once I got past Caroline (Marks), I was super confident and I knew I could do it. Lakey (Peterson) is an amazing surfer, so I knew it was going to be a tough Final but it doesn’t get any better. I love doing this. I love winning, I love doing this sport. We get to travel and surf fun waves. That’s pura vida. I would love to win another World Title but it’s a long road. There’s a lot more competition to be surfed and a lot of hard work to do, but this is just an amazing experience and I’m so happy to be here.”
In the Final, Gilmore’s patience proved the difference to best Peterson. The Final was slow to start, but Peterson got the first score of substance with a 6.67 (out of a possible 10). Gilmore then posted a 7.33 inside the ten-minute mark. Only needing to beat Peterson’s 4.00 backup score, Gilmore locked in a 5.67 in the dying minutes of the Final to take the win.
Lakey Peterson Breaks into WSL Final 5 on the Road to the Rip Curl WSL Finals
Peterson moves up one place from sixth to fifth with her runner-up finish and is only 1,280 points below Brisa Hennessy (CRI). The American has come close to winning the World Title multiple times in her career but had to withdraw for a majority of the season in 2021 due to a back injury. This is the first year that Peterson has been in the newly formatted World Title race with the one-day Rip Curl WSL Finals, and she will hope to close in on the WSL Final 5.
“It’s been amazing, thank you to everyone for letting us surf your wave,” said Peterson. “El Salvador is a beautiful country. I’ve really loved exploring, surfing, meeting all the people, and the culture is really incredible here. It feels great to get back on the podium and get some momentum again. I love right-hand pointbreaks, so I was really happy to be here, and to share it with Steph (Gilmore) is always so special. I want to win a World Title and I love Lowers. I’m going to do everything in my power to get there and give it a good crack. There’s a lot of hard work (to be done) and this is a step in the right direction for me.”
Colapinto Rises to Toledo’s Near-Perfection for Second-Career CT Victory
Griffin Colapinto (USA) has solidified the best year of his professional surfing career with a second win on the CT in 2022. Colapinto was a standout in the three days of competition and his prominence came to a crescendo in the dying minutes of the heat to overcome World No. 1 Filipe Toledo in the Final.
“It’s so crazy,” said Colapinto. “I was so baffled we were tied. I was just thinking it can’t end this way, I have to figure it out and comeback performances are what I dream of so if I’m in that position I just love it. Filipe (Toledo) and I have had some bouts, he got me at G-Land so I’m psyched to get him back here but he’s been surfing so good. On that 9.57 I just thought that’s Filipe doing his typical stuff. This Final feels better than Portugal so I’m just soaking it in.”
The men’s Final lit up Punta Roca from start to finish with a toe-to-toe battle between Colapinto and Toledo. Toledo applied pressure right out of the gates with a near-perfect 9.57 (out of a possible 10) before Colapinto responded in commanding form to earn a 9.00 of his own. The battle of the backup scores then unfolded as Toledo garnered a solid 6.43 while Colapinto answered back again with a 7.00 to make it a tie, with the edge going to Toledo for his higher single-wave score. But, with three minutes remaining, Colapinto found a gem under priority and threw everything into it to earn an excellent 8.00 and his second-career CT victory.
Colaptino has his heart set on the Rip Curl WSL Finals in his hometown of San Clemente, where he just missed out by one place last year. Now with this victory, the 23-year-old vaults to World No. 3 ahead of the Oi Rio Pro in Saquerema, Brazil.
Toledo Retains Top Spot on World Rankings
Despite the loss the Colaptino, Toledo will retain the yellow jersey and top spot on the World Rankings heading into the next event in his home country of Brazil. As a three-time winner of the Oi Rio Pro, he will enter as the favorite and the Brazilian fans will undoubtedly be cheering him on throughout the competition.
“Thank you for all the support and love here,” said Toledo. “I feel great. I feel humbled to be in the position I’m in. It’s been quite a fun year and it feels nice to go back to Brazil and recharge my batteries, and try to win again. There’s a lot of work to do but so far so good. I’m stoked, so blessed to be here and thanks to my family, happy birthday mom, and thank you to my team for supporting me.”
For highlights from the Surf City El Salvador Pro Presented by Corona, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Surf City El Salvador Pro Women’s Final Results:
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 13.00
2 – Lakey Peterson (USA) 10.67
Surf City El Salvador Pro Men’s Final Results:
1 – Griffin Colapinto (USA) 17.00
2 -Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.00
Surf City El Salvador Pro Women’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Lakey Peterson (USA) 12.70 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 9.67
HEAT 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.50 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 9.84
Surf City El Salvador Pro Men’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 13.30 DEF. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.17
HEAT 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.10 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.20
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
