Mayo surfer helps Ireland to podium at European Championship

Mayo man Robin Keating from Westport was part of the Ireland surfing team finishing third at the European Surfing Championships in Santa Cruz, Portugal.

The highest rank ever achieved by an Irish team and the celebrations afterwards were fittingly exuberant.

“It is a historic success,” says Robin Keating, speaking to The Mayo News after coming back home from Portugal. “It was great to be a part of it. And it was a great performance from most of our athletes, and a pretty okay performance from the lower performing athletes, but all round we did great.”

VIDEO: Wild celebrations as Mayo surfer helps Ireland to historic success

Robin acknowledged, that the waves were challenging, they weren’t like similar to what they are at home in Ireland. 

“We got there two days before the competition started, so you have to go to the competition site, along with all the other competitors, and familiarise yourself with the conditions and the form of the waves.”

The heats in the competition are 20 minutes long, and Robin was against three other surfers, there’s four in the heat, and the top two get through.

“I just found it was hard to get into a rhythm, because the waves were closing out along the shore quite quickly. But I did okay, so I came third in my first heat, which got me into the repecharge, which is like a second chance heat, and then I managed to come second in that one.”

In the next one, robin came third and bowed out of the competition. But his points were added to the overall total for the Irish team and helped finish third in the team competition. 

“For the celebrations, Usually, you jump into the pool after you receive your prize or your medal, but this year, we were in before. It was great fun.”

Robin was part of the Ireland team that participated in the World Games in Puerto Rico last year.

They didn’t make it to the podium back then so this year’s success is a new historic high for an Ireland team.

The next World Games are coming up in September, in El Salvador this time, and Robin will be part of the Irish team again.

READ NEXT: ‘Excited to meet our baba’ – Mayo GAA superstar and wife announce baby news