Ireland isn’t exactly an easy place to surf. Nothing worth doing, as they say, is easy. About 15 years ago, Patch Wilson started going to Ireland to surf some of the heaviest waves on Ireland’s jagged western coastline. His home at the time was Cornwall, but as the years passed, he fell in love with the Emerald Isle.
“When I first started coming,” he said, “I would come for a swell or I would spend a month. I started to see glimpses of the potential, but most of the time I would get skunked. But I still loved the country, the people, and the vibe, and I slowly even got to love the weather. With a few more of those trips under my belt I started to realize that if I really wanted to unlock the magic of Ireland it would be best if I spent more time here. And when I stopped chasing swells and was a little more present with my surroundings and the rest of my life, the waves really started showing me what they could do.”
Now, Wilson calls Ireland home, and he’s been weathering those wild North Atlantic winters, finding gems among the madness. Patagonia released Framed, which documents some of those gems from the last three seasons. “I completely love the place, and when the waves turn on here I really believe it’s as good as anywhere on the planet,” he said. “The waiting game can be a long one and the winters are harsh, but you get glimpses of magic in the madness that you wouldn’t see elsewhere and I love this place for that.”
