Gearoid McDaid and Ollie O’Flaherty On Discovering Waves Along Their Native Irish Coastline

“The west coast of Ireland is home to some of the most amazing surfing in the world. What would it be like to grow up on these shores? And surf these seas everyday? You’re about to meet two people who did.”

That was Irish film maker Jonny Mac Cann’s statement about his new film Winter Tides, set a world away from the sunny shores of Oahu’s north coast, on Ireland’s wild and frigid shores.

The films’ protagonists are two young local rippers, Gearoid Mcdaid and Ollie O’Flaherty, both of whom are beginning to make headway on an international stage in their respective categories. Gearoid has been competing solidly on the QS, improving his rank year on year, as well as dropping a series of epic clips, and making appearances in other peoples.

Ollie has become a mainstay of the Irish crew of chargers who paddle out on every solid swell, from Riley’s to Mullaghmore, Ollie spends his time encased in some of the heaviest waves the North Atlantic has to offer. He’s stacked up various XXL nominations for his efforts including one in 2012 for an absolutely bomb at Mullaghmore.

Cover photo: RedBull