For the first time in the Club’s history, the BBC crossed the Irish Sea for the first stop of the 2011 tour. Riders from the south west, the south east, the Channel Islands and of course Ireland headed for Portrush on the Causeway coastline of Northern Ireland. Following an epic 14 hour drive the BBC wagon arrived the day before the event to find solid swell but slightly unfavourable winds. The coastline around Porthrush (which is stunning) was searched with a fine tooth comb for the best wave we could find. Matt “I’ve got an app for that” Hawken had the crew checking all sorts of coves, corners and slabs but nothing quite hit the spot so everyone bailed and hit the black stuff instead. If you’re ever in Portrush, go to the Harbour Bar; the service really is umm, exceptional!

On the morning of the contest the wind swung perfectly offshore and although the swell had dropped a little you couldn’t have asked for much more as 3-4ft sets unloaded on Blackrocks offering all sorts of options. The talent at the comp was a really high standard; BBC 2010 tour winner Jack Johns, hot rivals Remi Geffroy and Aaron Dinham, the ever improving Channel Islands crew plus Irelands Martin Kelly, Darrah McCarter and Shane Meehan no less, this was going to be interesting!

The opening heat saw Dave Speller and JJ progressing comfortably but mention must go to local girl Ashleigh Smith who was holding her own and packing in some tight spins. Heat two saw Jersey’s much talked about Clint Loake finally make it to a BBC comp, and he didn’t disappoint. The pint sized ripper took the heat easily ahead of Remi Geffroy boosting a huge flip and a looping roll to secure him first place. The next two heats couldn’t have been tighter with just fractions of a point between second and third place which resulted in a couple of the competition favourites making an early exit in the shape of Martin Kelly and Shane Meehan.

The swell began to drop quickly and by the time the semi finals hit the water the big boosts of the early heats were a distant memory. However, an excellent demonstration of patient contest surfing saw Remi Geffroy pick two good waves to see him comfortably through. Steve Hall however got his timings a little wrong and left the water early. In the dying seconds of the heat Jersey’s Dave Speller snuck a last minute boost which saw him leap frog Hall into second place and book himself a place in the final. In the second semi, conditions were deteriorating even further and the predominantly left-handers didn’t suit Clint Loake’s style. Once again, some patient surfing saw Aaron Dinham and Darragh McCarter progress through the heat at the expense of current champion Jack Johns.

The final was rushed into the water before the surf went flat but to help compensate, the heat was extended to 30-minutes. Dave Speller was the first to post a solid score landing some lofty (for the conditions) rolls down the line. Remi and Aaron both struggled to find anything that offered more than a simple spin roll combo but Irish lad Darragh McCarter kept in touch with Speller. However, Speller found a second solid ride to secure the heat and his first ever BBC event win. Geddon Speller! And that wasn’t the only result he had at the comp…

Another feature of the 2011 BBC Tour is a DK section. It was a straight 4-man final with Clint Loake, Martin Kelly, French man Brice Le Comte and Dave Speller. The small conditions made generating speed difficult with riders bogging down easily. Brice Le Comte however did manage to pick off a couple of waves that offered some down the line speed which he used to good effect jamming in a couple of tight hacks and spins. Brice’s biggest threat was Jersey man Clint Loake who whipped a few back-hand snaps and a tidy reverse but it wasn’t enough and Brice took the top spot.

Massive thanks must go to Gerard McCauly for inviting us over to Portrush. The comp venue was spot on, and the after party was a night to remember (or forget, depending on how much Guiness you sank). If you fancy a trip to Ireland think about the Casueway coast. There’s loads of great waves in beautiful surroundings. Show the locals some respect and they will be cool.