Wed 16th - Monday 21st July

Have been very slack with the blogs in Ireland. But am going to try and sum up the last week in 1 blog with 15mins of internet credit remaining.

Tuesday night i was unable to get any accomidation in london so i slept at heathrow airport.. i figured i wouldnt get andy sleep, but at least i wouldnt get stabbed. On the wednesday i caught the plane to Dublin before lunch and arrived at my hostel right in the city about 4 in the arvo. I was absolutely buggered so i slept for a few hours and then went out the some pubs in the temple district with some other people from the hostel. The craic was 90 with live bands and the guiness on tap was at least 40 times better then at home.

Thursday i caught the bus up to Newry in northern Ireland and was met at the bus station by Lee, wife of Gary Parr(owner of the surfin dirt mountainboard center). We went up the track for a bit of a look and then he took me to my accomidation which was a hostel right at the base of the infamous morne mountains. The views here were spectacular.

Friday i went down to the track to do a Clinic/tutorial with some of the local riders. Everything was informal and the idea was to give them tips on how to land new tricks. This was very rewarding with nearly everyone landing somthing new. That night more mountainboarders arrived for the competition the next. Everybody was staying in the same place so we just sat out in the field and had a few beers before going to bed.

Saturday was the Boarder X of the Irish open. In the end i managed to get 3rd place. The weather was misty rain at the start of the day so the track was quite slow. By the end of qualifications the sun was out and the track was drying up. Turns out despite falling off in qualifications i had made the semi finals. In the semi final the race was very tight with all riders no further then a foot apart after the first 2 corners. I slipt back into 3rd place and was lucky enough there was a pile up in front of me and i crossed the line making it through to the finals where i ended up placing 3rd in an equally close race.

Sunday was the Freestyle Jam and the big Air. The freestyle jam was an hour long session on the track where riders could bust out the sickest lines they could. i pulled off a few backflips, massive 3's and 5's and boardslid the rainbow rail to take 1st place. In the big air i wasnt so lucky. On my 2nd jump i dropped in and got some speed wobble sending me off the jump crooked, i was planning on doing a backflip nosegrab, so i was committed to the trick, i new as soon as i left the lip it wasnt sop good, but i had to continue trying the flip so i didnt land on my head. i ended up landing far to the right of the takeoff then bouncing off the landing ramp ontop some rocks beside it. i cut the end off my thumb and it is quite bruised. i continued to ride and took 2nd place in the big air.

Monday. Now i am back in dublin at a hostel. I'm not sure how my thumb will effect me, but i am struggling to write, get my wallet out my pocket and carry my board bag. hopefully it heals up soon. I guess whatever doesnt kill you makes you stronger.