Brexit, Surfing, and Northern Ireland

On our way to a hidden surf spot near Donegal, we pulled over our van packed with big wave surfboards and a dog named Blyton, a golden retriever that clearly thought he was just one of the guys. We briefly parked on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. On our left was a rundown building that, years ago, was a guard shack packed with UK soldiers. I took on the anxiety of concrete barriers and barbed wire and guard dogs. Higher up the hill were former sniper positions. It was run down now, mostly deserted, full of ghosts from the Troubles. But I knew that as Brexit approaches it was all at risk again. There remains a chance it could all return to something that nobody wants. 

Behind the wheel on this surf adventure was Big Al Mennie. He must be Irelands most famous big wave surfer. Maybe the most famous big wave surfer that the UK has produced. He has surfed for Ireland in European and World Championship events, and is a past British champion. 

Big Al was the right person to help me understand the convoluted politics and history of Ireland as well as the complex tides and currents and swells that pound the islands’ big wave spots. I was on the island with my son Joel, also a surfer. We ventured this way, beyond Belfast where the Titanic first launched, past the Giants’ Causeway where much of Game of Thrones is filmed, to the furthest spot North on the map, all to surf the mythic spots of Donegal and Portrush with Big Al.

I also sought to understand the impact of Brexit on my business and the geography that hosted me.

My company had opened a software engineering center there and we’d hired some 40 new employees in Belfast. We spent a few days training with salespeople and interviewing and meeting with new employees. Once business was done we headed north to Portrush for the weekend to meet up with Big Al and Ricky Martin, another surfer who started Skunk Works Surf Company (@surfskunkworks). They make high quality sustainable surf products including foam surfboards using recycled material, with little waste, and sell them to surf schools around the world. The plan was to meet Big Al at Skunk Works and go surfing in Portrush that afternoon. Then an all-day surf trip to the Donegal region the next day. (Surfers generally don’t like to reveal exact surf spots, to keep the crowds down. So, we’ll stay with tradition and remain vague on locations.)

After touring the Skunk Works factory Big Al showed up. He walked through a doorway and the light in the room went a little dim and the door jamb looked like it was built with wrong dimensions because his head almost clipped the top as his giant frame filled the space in a way that seemed unnatural. He really is big. He stands near 6’5” and weighs about 230 pounds and he has no fat. His red hair and red beard are long and wild which makes him look 7’ tall. But when he smiles and laughs, which he does often, he lights up the room with joy. I felt an immediate warmth when we met.

30 minutes later we were paddling out into the North Irish sea.

Joel and I flew over from Oregon where we work hard and occasionally surf harsh conditions off the Coast of Lincoln City. We contend with big tide swings, white sharks, and cold water. But nothing as cold as Northern Ireland. On our first surf session that day our thick wetsuits did little to protect our feet and hands from going numb within seconds. But as we paddled out through a river mouth and into the first surf spot, Big Al is yelling “Isn’t this unreal? Are we the luckiest people in the world? I love this place…I love this place.” He was oozing joy.  He caught too many waves to count. Joel and I, well, let’s say we were getting acclimated.

The next morning, we headed across the border and into to the remote areas of Donegal where Big Al and a few others pioneered big wave riding in Europe. It was a two-hour drive through some of the most stunning landscape I’ve ever seen. In Ireland you can get almost anywhere in 2 hours. We passed massive green mountains and deep river canyons that cut their way to the ocean. Pristine country homes that shared large swaths of land with big horn sheep.

On the way I peppered Big Al with questions about the Troubles, the Good Friday Agreement, and Irish politics and the current state of affairs with the UK… and Brexit.

“There is a saying over here that people will cross the street to be offended.” He told me with a laugh. He went on to describe the roots of the Troubles and the backdrop that inspired Catholics and Protestants to fight each other and how the whole drama had nothing to do with religion but was more about the neighborhood where you grew up or if your ancestors were mostly from Scotland or England or mostly from the island of Ireland itself. He explained how everyone in Northern Ireland on both sides knew someone who’d been killed or injured during the Troubles. One of his neighbors, a policewoman, to this day looks under her car every morning for bombs before she heads to work. Paybacks, though largely unreported beyond local news, continue to this day. 

To breakdown any reader stereotypes about this surfer - who looks like he walked on the set from Narnia – you should know he is not what you think. If you pictured the Keanu Reeves or Patrick Swayze characteristic surfer who sells pot to makes ends meet - you’d be painfully wrong. He is very bright and hardworking. He runs a successful residential development company with numerous rental properties to boot. He is well read, writes books, is well travelled and well educated.

 “I was always just a surfer,” he said, “I was born in 1980 when it was crazy here. When my mum went into labor with me my father drove through a few heavily armed British road blocks to get her to the hospital.”

He explained to me some of the horrible acts historically committed by the British upon the Irish. “I totally understand the desire for self-rule, to break away from England” he said. He also explained how some of the Northern Irish self-identify with the UK given family roots across the water and business and familial connectivity with England and Scotland in the last 100 years. Because of his age and intellect, I gather he gets both sides of the issues.

I learned there are plenty of people on both sides of the border in Ireland who do not lean to one side or the other. They just want their family to be safe and they want food on the table. The want to thrive in a world without violence. They want good jobs, like the ones Unosquare creates, and many other companies like it.

“How do you think Brexit will effect this area if the EU requires a return to a hard border?” I asked. His answer was the same I get from politicians and CEO’s. “Nobody really knows yet.”

We arrived at an unnamed right point break with shoreline boulders that were held in place by acres of Peat Bog. The waves were double or triple overhead and fast. Joel paddled out first and caught one on the head (photo above). We all caught some waves and took some on the head. All in all, a great session.

We caught waves that were created by swells generated from storms far away and across the ocean. Weather patterns and storms 1,000 miles away had created an opportunity for us to surf fantastic waves under sunny skies. Waves that made Big Al shout with joy.

In the same way, thousands of miles away, in Brussels and London, the Brexit storm is brewing. It will soon send waves of opportunity or pain to the people of Northern Ireland. If I had a vote, I would vote that the UK back out of Brexit and just make things work with the EU - or that Ireland would become one nation once again. One or the other. If nothing else, for the sake of my friends and business in Belfast. But, alas, I do not have a vote.

Later, Big Al told me, “One of the most interesting things for me is seeing all you tech guys coming in large numbers, seeing the potential here, bringing more opportunity and skills. It seems that you guys can see the beauty, the benefits and the future much more clearly than lots of us who live here. It's extremely inspiring and motivating for me and gives me confidence in decisions I’m making that you big guys are charging on, creating change.” 

• Connect with Big Al Here!
• Connect with Ricky and Skunk Works Here!
• Connect with Mike Barrett Here!
• Find me on Instagram @mikebarrett10
• Contact Unosquare by clicking here!

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