Last Saturday we lost a brother surfer in Ireland. It has not been easy to deal with the situation in hand, and I can only empathise once more with the family. We never have had a passing of this nature in our Irish surfing community so this is the first time I have had to deal with a situation of this type relating to surfing, so please bear with me. I never really envisioned having to deal with a tragic event of this nature. In some ways it has fallen on me to try and express the sympathies and thoughts of Surfers at this point in time. I can only speak for myself, but I am sure most would agree that this is a tragic loss of a young man Homer wrote the Iliad, he spoke of the wine dark seas In his book he said that a loss like this is against the nature of things because the young are taken before their parents. I come from a family of Sailors and fishermen. In our culture and we sometimes need to deal with the loss of our young men at sea. We can only say in a case like this ‘Eilionn an fharraige a deachma’ Its old Connemara Irish that means The sea claims its tithe I realise at a time like this there is nothing I can say that is of any consolation. As a surfer, I get a great joy from the sport. It is a pursuit unlike a lot of others that fills one with a sense of purpose, contemplation, adventure, comradeship, awe and wonder. Surfing is both an exhilarating and humbling experience that brings great joy, and at news of this nature, great sadness. Surfing is also a very spiritual experience, I believe that this is the fundamental attraction of it as a sport and a way of life. It gives one a sense of self, and a sense of being a part of something greater And it is that sense, interacting with nature at such a primary level that gives us that distinct feeling that everything is there for a reason. When we ride waves created in the worlds seas and oceans, that are shaped by winds in turn created by the sun, and waves that are affected by the moon and the tides, we look at events that involve huge forces, beyond human comprehension. It is this sense of connection that assures me of a Creator, something so wonderous and powerful, that it is beyond our understanding. As West Africans call it, Our Father of many Names, that at times like this we look to this Being for hope, for answers, for understanding. Sometimes there are no answers, times like this. But there is always hope, and in my mind, there is another place beyond this world. For whatever reason our creator will some day call each of us, and when it does, we will go. But there are times when we cannot understand why he wants some of us so soon, and this is one of those times From what I heard Colin had been surfing for many years I did not know Colin but as surfers we all share in some of these things, thoughts, senses and feelings. It is something that, as an Irish and world wide community we all share. We are all brothers and sisters in the sea. We are allways upset by the loss of life, even more so by the loss of a young positive person. I spoke with many people today, most knew Colin as a local surfer in Cork, everyone said what a nice, cool guy he was, always saying hi, laid back and hassle free. Why we surf is an intangible thing as it is both an individual and collective experience. Therefore, the sadness of Colins family is shared and understood by all of us, and I hope, that his family, in the knowledge that we share some of their sense of loss, will make his passing easier to cope with Homer also said that the Gods take the mortals who they love best first. The book of condolence is there for anybody wishing to use it, just click on the link below. It can also be accessed through the message board and the liftline in resources at surfingireland.net I am afraid that with my limited skills this is the best I could do. http://pub48.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=4063535988 