World’s Best Surfers Leave A Message On The Erin Swell in Europe
Natxo Gonzalez, Nic Von Rupp, Gearoid McDaid, Kepa Acero and Fred Morais give us an update on their Erin experiences.
The last remnants of the ex-Hurricane Erin have just been spent on the European coastline. So to wrap a rare summer swell that after first delivering on the East Coast of the Americas, produced waves from the Morocco to Norway, we got in touch with some of the world’s best surfers (and one broadcaster) to leave a message on the surf-forecast voice mail to get their take on one of the biggest August swell in living memory.
Naxto Gonzalez
The Basque Charger Hits Mullaghmore
"It was supposed to be massive and Conor Maguire told me like grab a tow board just in case. I was there first light but it was high tide and it wasn't even breaking, which was a big surprise for us. We could see some lines, a beautiful swell, but not the 60 ft swell we were waiting for. So we waited for the tide to drop and paddled out. It was a really inconsistent swell. I caught a wave to feel the 9’0” and the power of Mully. You go so fast there and it's a totally different wave to everywhere else. I then waited for an hour and a half and then a bomb came. On the second wave of the set, the local guys were like Go! Go! So I turned around and went on that pretty amazing, magic wave. In the beginning was like a kind of backwash, but I could see the wave was so clean down the inside, so I just tried to hold down my position. The vision was incredible, and it spat me into the channel. Everybody was screaming. That was the the best moment, celebrating with the community here who have always treated me with so much respect. I was the happiest man in the whole world. It's a really humble community that have made me feel so welcome. It's one of those places I will cherish forever and that was a wave I will always remember. It’s a really powerful wave in a really unique place that I feel really connected to."
Paul Evans
The WSL Broadcaster on Guethary
Evans, on another level.
"Paul Evans here, world-famous WSL surf broadcaster and writer here. And now extra- medium wave charger. I surfed the massive hurricane, ex-hurricane swell at a spot called Parlementia in Guethary in southwest France, near where I live. Some people call it Parle-Mavericks. I don't. Some people wear flotation out there. I didn't, I just wore shorts. I surfed a ten foot gun. I caught a couple of sort of head-high waves. There were some quite big ones. It wasn't quite, as big as advertised. Everyone said it was gonna be 12 to 15 ft. There were a couple of sets, but, um, like so many things in life, it was a little bit underwhelming on the day; kind of grey and a bit overcast. My friend Darren though he nearly drowned and puked and got real scared. He made the mistake of trying to get the sets on the peak. Don't do that. The good news was there was loads of people that were hyped for the swell, and so were all there, lining the steps, watching and cheering us on. I came out, um, still alive. When we got out, there was loads of people watching and some kind of cool looking Parisian chicks. They tried to talk to me and ask me some questions about what I'd just achieved. I did my best to answer them, but I think they could tell I was basically on another level spiritually and physically from them. I suppose I always will be."
Gearoid McDaid
Irish OG hosts at home
“I surfed a slab in the morning, and then went out at Mullaghmore when the tide dropped. I’m not sure if it was the biggest summer swell in history, it might not even have been the biggest of this summer, but there was enough juice and real power to make it special. I saw Nathan Florence get a good one, Natxo too, and I managed to get a nice bomb, the first since I was injured. It was pretty epic session. Warm water, good vibes, and hopefully the start of the season."
Freddie Morais
Portuguese Prince in Pantin
"I don’t want to talk about it. I was in Pantin, for the European Qualifying Series event. It’s an exposed beachbreak on the northwest tip of Spain that is a known swell magnet. It copped all the swell. It’s been huge, just about rideable, but only just."
Kepa Acero
The legendary explorer stays home at Mundaka
“Mundaka was really heavy that first day. Too heavy for an old man like me. It wasn’t the size, but the thickness. A super long period, and really west. At low tide, it was just the young guns who were getting amongst it. There wasn’t many barrels because of the wind. You need offshore in Mundaka. That's the magic touch. It was fun, but not epic, but for August, well it was really special.”