COMMON GROUND
A Finisterre Film by Luke Pilbeam
Featuring - Easkey Britton, Tom Kay, Sandy Kerr, Noah Lane, Fergal Smith and Matt Smith
Produced by - David Gray, Tom Kay and Matt Smith
November saw the team gather for the first time deep in NW Ireland. For some this was the first meet, for others a welcome reunion of familiar faces. We walked far, ate well, surfed hard and lived for a while, sharing stories. Every one of us had been introduced to the sea by our parents, be they surfers, farmers, teachers or sailors. The conversation moved onto how it had shaped our lives, and shed light on what may lie in our futures.
A lot went on in 2016 for the Finisterre Ambassadors. Fergal Smith stood as a candidate in last year’s Irish General Election and worked up on the Moy Hill Community Farm, showing us how to reconnect to the land. Noah Lane continued to push the boundaries of cold water surfing, winning the Wave of the Winter. Our team manager Matt Smith co-founded Backwash, a print anthology about surf and culture, as well as Hometree, an Irish re-forestation initiative. Easkey Britton finished her doctorate and founded Waves of Freedom. Sam Bleakley also finished his PhD, flying to all corners of the globe using surfing to affect change and deliver a positive social impact. Newcomer Sandy Kerr got engaged to his childhood sweetheart Rachel, bought a house and is spreading the word of surf and healthy living to younger generations in the North East.
We left with a further shared sense of purpose and common ground, excited to see where our paths take us in 2017 and beyond.