When we caught up with Russell Bierke back home in Ulladulla, he was, once again, in recovery mode. Fresh off broken ribs and a bruised sternum at JAWS, he’d just added a broken nose to the collection—this time courtesy of a local mysto bombie. Stitched up but in good spirits, Russ took a moment to reflect on his latest cold-water strike mission to the emerald edge of the world: Ireland.
Cold, gritty and heavy, Ireland truly is a testing ground for those chasing good waves.
The trip kicked off in classic Bierke fashion. Fresh off a long-haul flight and still shaking off the jet lag, he paddled out the very next morning—no hesitation, no warm-up. “Had a bit of a shocker that first morning,” he laughed. “I pretty much just got smoked on the first two, snapped my board on the third one, and ended up sitting on the cliff, freezing my ass off, watching perfect waves roll through.” A harsh welcome from the North Atlantic, par for the course when you're chasing slabs on the edge of the world.
Fresh off a flight into getting flexed 3 waves straight out Aileen's....
Travelling with longtime mate Noa Deane, the pair chased windows between storms, scouring the coastline for any hint of a break. What started as a two-week plan quickly stretched to three. "Everything’s three hours apart," Russ explained. "You're always hustling—boots still on, half a sandwich in hand, trying to make the next tide, or beat the current one" The cold, the wind, the rubber—it all became part of the rhythm. “At first, it rattles you, but after a few days, it feels normal. Hood, gloves, booties… you just stop caring and get on with it.”
Russ & Noa, eyeballing the setup from the channel.
What really struck Russ this trip was the next generation of Irish chargers. “There’s the core guys, for sure, but now there’s this pack of 15- to 18-year-olds starting to have a proper look on the bigger days,” he said. “They’ve got a good attitude and they’re hungry—definitely a few standouts in that crew.” He reckons they’re so well-trained in those cold, slabby conditions that they’d slot right into some of the heavier sessions back home in Australia.
Despite the early carnage—busted boards, bruises, and windburn—the trip ended on a high. A run of late sessions delivered the goods, just enough, as Russ put it, “to make the whole mission worth it.” Classic Bierke: take a few on the head, dust yourself off, and come back swinging.
Throwing punts on smaller days in between swells.
Video & Images supplied by Conor Flanagan. (@conor_flanagan_photography)
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