Irish surfer Conor Maguire braved treacherous conditions to ride the biggest wave ever surfed in Irish history last month.
Conor Maguire took to the water in Mullaghmore, Co Sligo, on Wednesday, October 28 to take on a gigantic 60-foot swell on the west coast of Ireland.
The 26-year-old surfer lives just 15km away from Mullaghmore and said that he could hear the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean echoing through the walls of his home.
"I could hear the deep bass from the ocean rolling through my house, the sound was echoing through the walls," Maguire told the Irish Examiner. "I knew we were in for something special."
Maguire jumped in his car and drove 15km from Bundoran to Mullaghmore along the Wild Atlantic Way to scope out the scene.
"I couldn’t believe what I was seeing out in the ocean. It was so white," he told the Irish Examiner.
Maguire, who has been surfing since the age of 11, said that the swell was the biggest he had ever seen in Irish waters and that he knew it was going to be a "crazy" experience as soon as heard the waves.
Maguire is a professional Red Bull athlete and was brought out to the giant waves by a jet ski due to the dangerous conditions. He also took a number of other safety precautions, including placing spotters on the beach and wearing an insulation vest.
"I am a professional athlete. I risk assess before I do something like this. This is not something that is done on a whim," he said.
The entire experience only lasted around 20 seconds, but Maguire said that it was "just like a dream."
It’s not often you get to take on waves hitting 60 FEET off Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way!
Our elite athlete Conor Maguire did just that at Mullaghmore today ? ???
? : Clem McInerney pic.twitter.com/b63t09ht2b
— Red Bull Ireland (@redbullIRE) October 28, 2020
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