Displaying items by tag: World Surf League

12th March 2015

Champ Lashes Out At Irish Pro After World Surf League Opener

#Surfing - Irish-Aussie surfer Glenn Hall says there's "nothing personal" between him and world surfing champion Gabriel Medina after the latter's outburst over his elimination from the World Surf League season opener.

As the Sydney Morning Herald reports, the Brazilian was seething after an interference call in his heat against Hall confirmed his elimination from the third round.

Medina expressed his frustration at the more than a week spent waiting for suitable waves at Snapper Rocks on Australia's Gold Coast before surfing could even begin.

He also lashed out at Hall for swearing at him in the water - but the New South Wales native dismissed the situation as "a bit of a tight heckle".

Hall, who was born in Australia but competes for Ireland due to his family heritage, is the lone Irish entrant in the new World Surf League, the successor to the ASP World Tour.

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Lone Irish Entrant In New World Surf League For 2015

#Surfing - Glenn Hall is the only Irish surfing name set for competition in the 2015 World Surf League, the new name or the ASP World Tour.

Surfer Today has the full rundown of competitors, which includes such luminaries as multiple-time world champion and living legend Kelly Slater, and Irish-Australian surf pro Mick Fanning.

Australians make up the biggest proportion of entrants, with 12 Aussie surfers out of the 34-strong field set to challenge for the 2015 title.

In other surfing news, the ASP World Tour website has some breathtaking images of American big wave surfer Kurt Rist riding the tube of a massive swell that crashed over Mullaghmore Head in early November - his nomination for the 2014 XXL Big Wave Awards.

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.