Big wave drama coming to the Mayo coast

The hugely successful Mayo Mayhem Windsurfing event is set to return this week depending on favourable weather conditions.

Mayo Mayhem, powered by RWE, is Ireland’s premier windsurfing event. The competition will take place either on the Belmullet Peninsula or Achill Island, depending on wind direction as well as weather conditions, from Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28.

Returning as a 3-star ranked world tour event, Mayo Mayhem will attract top windsurfers from Ireland and overseas to compete along the Wild Atlantic Way. Expect a spectacular display of colour, skill, courage and adrenaline as riders battle the elements for the Mayo Mayhem 2025 title.

“Every year I'm very excited,” Malcolm Scott, event organiser, told the Western People. He, along with many others, will have kept a close eye on the weather conditions and a decision whether it goes ahead this weekend or the following weekend will be announced on Wednesday evening. There is also room in the calendar for it to be run later in the year if needed.

“We're looking at the forecast, it updates every six hours and every six hours, I'm glued to my computer just to see what's going to happen. People are on to me going, am I booking my flights? Are we going this weekend? Are we going another weekend?

“I'm looking at a low pressure system that's building off the Bahamas at the minute and hoping by next Friday that low pressure system is going to develop into a storm that's going to provide us with some excellent conditions. But we won't know for another few days whether we're going this weekend or whether we're going to have to wait and see about the next weekend.” 

The event was set up in 2017 by Bull Island Windsurfers as a not-for-profit competition with the aim of giving windsurfers a great reason to meet up and have some fun while pushing their windsurfing limits.

It’s always a visual spectacle, as athletes compete against massive waves in storm force wind. But what it is that attracts people to the sport?

“I always think it's a bit like motocross on water,” offered Malcolm. “The type of windsurfing we do, it's a mixture between surfing the waves, so you go out trying to find nice big waves, anything four or five meters is what we're looking for, and then you ride the wave like a surfer, but you get the power of the sail to generate even more speed.

“That's great on the way in, but on the way out, you've got power in your sail and you're hitting these waves at like 30 miles an hour which enables you to do super high jumps up to five to six metres in the air.

“Some of the really good guys can then go into forward loops or back loops and do all these tricks in the air as well.

“It's just adrenaline and then when you add to that you're away in the west of Ireland in some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, you're relaxing out with your friends having a great time and it's the Irish hospitality in the evening time, so what else could you look for?” 

There is plenty of Irish interest in the international event. Galway’s Julius Byrne, Kerry’s Finn Mellon and Sligo’s Dan Keeley are expected to be involved in the Pro while there are competitors from Mayo who will compete in the amateur competition.

Much work has gone on from taking it from a local event to an international event, particularly from the funding and sponsorship side. With a milestone tenth event on the horizon, Scott said they are planning to do ‘something special’.

“Watch this space is all I can say in that one.” 

We certainly will.

You can track event updates on the Mayo Mayhem Facebook page.