Surfer to tackle Ocean to City race on stand-up board

A renowned surfer is set to become the first person to take on Cork’s Ocean to City race standing up — and just seven months after cancer surgery.

Former lifeguard Jason Conniry, 42, who lives in Clonakilty, West Cork, said his life has revolved around water sports and the ocean for 27 years and it just seemed logical to take on one of the country’s most popular long-distance rowing races on his stand-up paddle board.

Jason, who was a lifeguard in the US in his 20s — spending his winters in Indonesia and South Africa surfing — said: “I competed on stand-up paddle board teams in the US in my 20s and paddled 10 miles every day before I even started work. I feel amazing right now. I’m not going to let what might happen in six months dictate how I live my life now.

“If this goes well, next year I would love to open the race up to prone paddle boarders and we could see up to 100 entries.”

The Ocean to City An Rás Mór takes place on Saturday, May 30, as part of the week-long Cork Harbour Festival.

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Hundreds of individual participants will take to the water in kayaks and canoes, with teams in dragon boats, to compete along a 28km route from Monkstown to the city centre.

Jason will be the only person competing on a 14ft long stand-up paddle board. He will attempt the shorter 13km race route.

“The wind will be the biggest challenge. It’s either your enemy or your best friend when you’re on a stand-up paddle board.

“I’m hoping for an easterly wind and could do the course in 90-minutes with the wind at my back. But if we get a headwind, it could take up to four hours. I’m aiming to do it in about two-and-a-half hours.”

Jason, who used to own the Incide Surf Shop in Cork City, works with the Clonakilty-based bigsurfshop.com, and as a sales agent for Ripcurl.

His training regime includes paddle-boarding along the Clonakilty coast and trips between Baltimore and Cape Clear.

Despite recovering from cancer surgery, Jason said he is feeling great and looking forward to the race. He is also fundraising for charity.

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