#Windsurfing - Michael Clancy, father of late windsurfing prospect Mikey Clancy, has issued a statement following the tragic death of his son last week.
On behalf of the Clancy family, he wrote:
Mikey Clancy, a rising star in the PWA, has passed away. His story is well known to many with an incredible comeback following a serious injury. Mikey loved the sea as a child and although he only stepped on board a windsurfer at 15 years of age he made rapid progress in the sport over the following years.
Windsurfing was his passion and he loved the friendships he made whether it was Victor [Fernandez] , Timo [Mullen], Klaas [Voget], Kauli [Seadi] or the many Irish and UK friends he made, he always had time and fun with them. He was a consummate pro with his sponsors Fanatic, North, Ion, DIT, K4Fins and had often ridden in storm-chase conditions in Ireland.
His family Michael, Bernie and Sean wish to thank the thousands who celebrated Mikey’s life in Dublin this week and all those who were sent their condolences from around the globe. We will miss Mikey and remember him fondly for his sportsmanship, kindness and friendly manner. Your smile and humour lit up many a windsurfers day. May you dance on the seas of heaven as you once danced on the seas of the ocean.
Bye Mikey ... we will all see you soon.
Michael Clancy has also made an appeal for anyone experiencing depression to seek help.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Mirror, he said of his son Mikey: “We are very happy that we had a fantastic 22 years of life with him and sadly some people’s lives are shorter than others.
“A book can be a short story or it can be a grand novel. What he had packed into his life was amazing.”
Talking of his son's tragic decision to end his own life, Michael said: “It’s a horrendous cultural thing that Ireland is developing, it really is. It seems to be getting worse rather than better.”
However, he added: “Whilst we are extremely heartbroken and shocked at the news we want to celebrate that he had a good innings in a lot of aspects.”
As reported previously on Afloat.ie, Mikey Clancy had come back last year from a serious ankle injury to produce the best results of his burgeoning pro career, with a year-best 13th place at the Cold Hawaii Classic in October.
“He was really a warrior," said his father Michael. “He got to the very top of world windsurfing twice, once before the injury and once after the injury.”
According to the Mirror, Mikey's ashes will be spread over various beaches in Ireland during the year.
