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Wave Riders is an ambitious feature documentary about the beautiful sport of surfing in a newly discovered world destination in the West of Ireland and Northern Ireland. At the core of the film is the journey of a cast of top Irish and Irish American surfers as they trace an unexpected Irish connection to surfing and strive to meet the latest challenge of big wave tow surfing in Ireland. Their journey starts with the revelation that George Freeth, the son of an Ulsterman, re-introduced the ancient Polynesian art of wave riding in Hawaii at the start of the 20th century after it had been stamped out by missionaries. We trace how Freeth went on to transform and popularise the sport in California where he became the world’s first lifeguard. The story brings us back to Ireland where top surfer Richard Fitzgerald from Bundoran and UK surf champion, Gabe Davies, extol the virtues of relatively unexplored Irish surf destinations. They link up with world champion Kelly Slater and Irish American superstar surfers such as pioneering soul surfer Kevin Naughton and the renowned Malloy brothers to ride some of the most exciting surf Ireland has to offer north and south of the Irish border. The story climaxes with their attempt to ride a big wave off the west coast of Ireland using the newly introduced technique of tow surfing.
This project is part financed by the European Union through its INTERREG IIIA Programme, Ireland/Northern Ireland managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the ICBAN Partnership, The Irish Film Board/Bord Scannán na hÉireann, Northern Ireland Screen, BBC, Broadcasting Commission of Ireland/Coimisiún Craolacháin na hÉireann, "Sound & Vision" Scheme.
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