De ar relaxado e simpático. Assim se mostrou Alistair Mennie, ou Al Mennie como é conhecido este surfista irlandês de 30 anos, que na semana passada aceitou o desafio lançado por Garrett McNamara para vir à Nazaré experimentar as ondas grandes da Praia do Norte. Não hesitou… “As minhas expectativas antes da viagem para Portugal era que o surf ia ser enorme e poderoso. Quando alguém como o Garrett nos telefona e nos diz que a Nazaré é um dos locais mais poderosos do planeta nós acreditamos”, contou Al.
Relaxed and friendly. That’s Alistair Mennie, or Al Mennie as this 30 years old Irish surfer is also known. Last week he accepted the challenge to come to Nazaré and try the big waves of Praia do Norte. He had no doubt at the time… “My expectations before the trip to Portugal were that the surf was going to be huge and powerful. When someone like Garrett phones you up and tells you Nazaré is one of the most powerful places on the planet you believe”, he said.
Garrett foi sempre “uma inspiração”, desde que começou a surfar quando tinha nove anos. “Estar a surfar com ele em ondas gigantes foi uma honra”, afirma o surfista, que frisa o facto de GMAC ser muito confiante nas suas capacidades e muito minucioso na sua abordagem aos cenários de segurança e salvamento.
Garrett has always been “an inspiration” to him, since he started surfing at the age of nine. “To find myself surfing with him in giant waves was an honour”, declared the surfer, who accentuated the fact that GMAC is very confident in his ability and very thorough in his approach to safety and rescue scenarios.
Garrett has always been “an inspiration” to him, since he started surfing at the age of nine. “To find myself surfing with him in giant waves was an honour”, declared the surfer, who accentuated the fact that GMAC is very confident in his ability and very thorough in his approach to safety and rescue scenarios.
Chegou exausto a casa, porque surfar na Nazaré “requer toda a nossa atenção”. Há picos enormes do tamanho de prédios de cinco andares, que exigem que todos os participantes estejam concentrados, seja a levar um surfista para a onda, a socorrer um dos surfistas ou a fazer segurança noutra mota de água, explica Al.
He felt exhausted when he returned home, because surfing in Nazaré “requires your full attention”. There are huge peaks the size of five storey buildings coming and it takes every team member to be focused, either driving a surfer onto a wave, rescuing a surfer or doing safety on another ski, he explained.
He felt exhausted when he returned home, because surfing in Nazaré “requires your full attention”. There are huge peaks the size of five storey buildings coming and it takes every team member to be focused, either driving a surfer onto a wave, rescuing a surfer or doing safety on another ski, he explained.
Mas apesar do cansaço exigido, é dentro de água que se sente bem, que se realiza. “Sinto-me mais confortável a surfar, a fazer tow in ou stand up paddle boarding do que quando estou no meu sofá! Sinto-me extremamente vivo…”, frisa. E tudo na sua vida gira em torno disso. “Estou a viver o meu sonho, todos o deviam fazer. Penso que a vida é sobre fazer e não sobre sonhar em fazer. Se tu sonhas em fazer alguma coisa então encontra coragem para o fazer, senão não passará disso mesmo, de um sonho.”
But despite the fatigue that surf requires, is inside the water that he feels good, that he fulfills himself. “I feel more comfortable in the ocean surfing, tow surfing or stand up paddle boarding than I do on my own couch! I feel extremely alive…”, he said. And everything in his life revolves around it. “I’m living my dream, everyone should be. I think life is about doing, not dreaming of doing. If you dream of doing something then find the courage to just do it, otherwise it will always be just that, a dream.”
But despite the fatigue that surf requires, is inside the water that he feels good, that he fulfills himself. “I feel more comfortable in the ocean surfing, tow surfing or stand up paddle boarding than I do on my own couch! I feel extremely alive…”, he said. And everything in his life revolves around it. “I’m living my dream, everyone should be. I think life is about doing, not dreaming of doing. If you dream of doing something then find the courage to just do it, otherwise it will always be just that, a dream.”
Al Mennie já tinha estado em Portugal. Gosta da comida – “peixe, arroz, vegetais… de que precisamos mais?” – e das pessoas, que considera simpáticas e prestáveis. Da Nazaré diz ser um “lugar único”, com características especiais que criam algumas das “maiores e mais poderosas beach break waves do mundo”. “A Nazaré é um desafio para qualquer big wave surfer”, sublinha, garantindo que não vai esquecer esta experiência. “Gostava de voltar a surfar com o Garrett e de voltar à Nazaré para um daqueles picos grandes!” E será que gostava de participar no The North Canyon Show 2012? “Hell yeah!!!!”
Al Mennie has already been in Portugal. He likes the food – “fish, rice, vegetables… what more do you need?” – and the people, which are friendly and helpful to him. Of Nazaré he says that it is a “very unique place”, with many special characteristics which create some of the “biggest and most powerful beach break waves in the world”. “Nazaré is a challenge to any big wave surfer”, he said, ensuring that he’ll never forget this experience. “I look forward to surf with Garrett again in the future and also return to Nazaré for some of those big peaks!” And would he like to participate in The North Canyon Show 2012? “Hell yeah!!!!”
http://www.almennie.com/
To see the video on BBC NEWS IRELAND click here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/9220935.stm
Photos by POLVO/Jorge Leal e Wilson Ribeiro
