For a long time, Amaury Lavernhe was interested in bodyboarding Mullaghmore Head on a solid day. The French shredder rode the Irish spot in 2009 on a small 5ft day, which felt short, and was motivated to surf it again with bigger waves, wondering how it would break at 15/20ft bombs.
Top photo credits: @kev_tbay
The French bodyboard veteran, 40-years-old, world champion in 2010 and 2014, and 4x Frontón King winner, missed two good swells this season until his good friend and Emerald Isle local Seamus McGoldrick sent the news: a new swell is coming!
“I was in France and I decided to go. First I went to the Canary Islands to get my gear, give a hug to the family and get ready for this trip with my friend Ruyman Rey”, says Moz.
After a four hours flight, three hours drive and a short night of sleep they finally arrived in Mullaghmore. Next step was an unfamiliar one for the former world champ. “I put on my 5/4/3mm on top of my 2/2 springsuit, gloves, socks and hood, and then jumped into the 9 degrees water which was a shock.”
Lavernhe was lucky enough to get a jet ski ride with Portuguese big wave rider Nic von Rupp which allowed him to get in the lineup in short time, avoiding a very long and hard paddle of about 40-50 minutes.
“I decided to sit a little bit inside from all the surfers. I took my first wave and I literally never went that fast on my bodyboard. It was mind blowing how much speed I generated”
The shot pictured on top is from Moz second wave whose experience he recounted as follows:
“After dropping I went so fast, hit a bump and pretty much lost my line just before getting into this crazy section. Nothing much I could do at this stage. I just tried to control as much as I could my board and trajectory before entering the cavern.”
The French gladiator from Reunion Island, living in Gran Canaria for a few years now, adds: “What a crazy vision before the shock wave got under my board and threw me into the air. I was floating for a few seconds before being harmed violently by the wave. I might have spent 10 to 12 seconds underwater, which seemed like an eternity. I was shocked by the violence of the wave.”
Next, he was washed on the inside, duck dived two more times until he was rescued by a local jet ski driver. “I don’t know who it was but thank you, man. Super stoked to see the support of these guys no matter who rides the wave, surfer or bodyboarder.”
Moz stayed in the channel for about 10 minutes trying to calm himself before getting back to the lineup for one more ride. “I was not cold anymore”, he recalls about this crazy and vibrant strike mission in the North Atlantic. xxx
