Circle One Team Rider

Alastair's passion for big waves is notorious. Footage of him and fellow surfers riding 40' faces at Mullaghmore Head in Northern Ireland last year captured the imagination - and horror - of millions of people as pictures of a small spec (although he's 6'5") on a monstruous wave leapt out of National press including the Sun and The Observer and from BBC and Sky News programmes to name but a few. This session on the 1st Dec literally hit new heights for Al, but it certainly was not the first time he has pushed the limits of wave riding.

As a boy growing up in Northern Ireland, surfing really got under Alastair's skin and became his passion. Entering the UK competition scene, he was National Student Champion and went on to become a successful UK Surfing Tour Professional, but all the while he was scouting and surfing little known spots on the Irish coast looking for bigger waves and fresh challenges. Al has also surfed a number of spots that probably have never been surfed around Ireland as well as some of the world's meanest waves such as Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, Northern California, by all accounts a totally awesome experience.

Now off the circuit, Al focuses on the big waves that drive him to push his surf to the limit whilst balancing this with his work life which is property-development and being his own boss. But despite his achievements, the man himself keeps his feet on the ground stressing that solid training, skill, determination and total committment are the keys to doing what he does - and staying alive.

See footage of Al and fellow surfers pysching up for 1st Dec '07 session at Mullghmore Head (Don't adjust your sets, high winds meant that sound quality is quite poor).