Ireland’s Roisín Cahill has taken silver in the Under-23 surf ski race at the ICF World Ocean Racing championships in Lanzarote.
The 22-year old from Clare, who used to be a high-performance swimmer, was ranked second at women's under-23 level behind Jade Wilson of South Africa after a race in lively and high seas.
Canoe ocean racing is contested in single and double surf skis, sea kayaks and single or six-person outriggers. Surf skis were initially similar to surfboards but modern, lighter versions can be made from composite layers of epoxy or polyester resin-bonded cloth such as fibreglass, Kevlar, carbon fibre or a mixture. They are usually five to six and a half metres long and only 40 to 50 centimetres wide.
Cahill says she loves the sport. “It’s the most fun - surfing waves at over 20 kilometres per hour! I also love the ocean and the wildlife, so it's a privilege to be able to train amongst it.”
Cahill, who is a biology and chemistry teacher, has been a lifeguard in Lahinch and has paddled near the Cliffs of Moher and the Skelligs. She has medals at European level in surf life-saving. She trains with Celbridge Paddlers in Kildare.
Ireland’s Tadhg de Barra also competed in Lanzarote, in the senior men’s class.
