The inspiring true story of the dawn of Irish surfing and how the sport's brave pioneers found peace and escape in the water during the most violent years of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

In 1972, every international sporting event in Ireland was cancelled, except for one. Teams from around the world refused to travel to Ireland amid the height of The Troubles.

The only group of athletes bold enough to risk traveling in Ireland at this turbulent time were surfers. Surfers from around the globe descended upon the coastal village of Lahinch for the 1972 Eurosurf Championship, the largest surfing event in all of Europe and the competition that would put Irish surfing on the map. Here surfers from both sides of the divided island would forget about the civil strife and celebrate their shared love of the sport by riding Ireland’s majestic waves. Even surfers from England would defy their government’s intense pressure to boycott the event. For these surfers, there were no borders, only the endless freedom of the ocean.

www.keepitasecretfilm.com

Exquisite Corpse, from the original French term "Cadavre Exquis" is a method in which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled. Each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence, being allowed to see only the end of what the previous person contributed.

During 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic, while most of us were in lockdown, we felt the urge to come together somehow.

This film was made by women of the Vans Surf team & friends in an attempt to reach across the seas, and create a piece that deeply connected us.

Featuring surfing and art by: Margaux Arramont-Tucoo, Ainara Aymat, Lee-Ann Curren, Leila Hurst, Lola Mignot, Pua Desoto, Karina Rozunko, Bella Kenworthy, Hanna Scott, Holly Wawn & Chelsea Woody.

Original soundtrack featuring Lee-Ann Curren, Hanna Scott, AYO, Glenn Michael Van Dyke and Lena Simon of Kairos Creature Club, Chloé Thévenin, Maia Ibar, Thee Leatherettes, Big Joanie, Clovis Donizetti, Cécile Mestelan and more...