Nic von Rupp was prepared to surf a wave like this, but nothing can prepare you for the feeling. Photo: courtesy of Nic von Rupp
Nic von Rupp spends most of his life either thinking about, training for, or surfing enormous waves. The last few years have been a real statement for him. He’s a Nazaré staple, of course, but it’s not only Nazaré where he excels. When the waves get hairy, Nic shines. And the waves at Mullaghmore in December were really, really hairy. And the hairiest of those days delivered a ride that Nic von Rupp called “the wave of my life.”
“December was absolutely wild in the North Atlantic, with non-stop swells from Nazaré to Ireland,” he wrote. “On December 18th, one of the biggest and cleanest swells in over a decade hit the Irish coast, delivering once-in-a-generation conditions at Mullaghmore. That day, I rode the wave of my life — a wave I dreamed about, feared, and chased for years.”
Mullaghmore is a scary place. Like most waves, a lot of stars need to align for it to work at its best. Not just environmental stars, either. The crew in the water counts, as well. It’s a dangerous place, so having a crew you trust to pull you out if things go pear-shaped is good for peace of mind, which in turn is good for performance. And Nic put on a show.
“Walking away healthy after a session like this is something I’ll never take for granted,” he continued. “We made an edit around the session — a slightly different format that runs you through the emotions and commitment it takes to ride a wave of a lifetime.”
