Andy Burke, born in 1973, little did anybody know that he was to become some what of an Irish Surf Legend. He is currently living & surfing In Lahinch, Co. Clare. He is originally from Ennis, a landlocked town about 20 miles from Lahinch.

At the age of 9 he had first taste of the Alternative Sports Scene when he bought a copy of RAD Magazine. This was possibly the first of the next few steps that would change his life as he knew it. The first seed was planted & there was no turning back. For his 10th birthday he got a BMX and I was hooked. Later, for his 13th birthday, he got a skateboard. Teaming up with his good friend, Ritchie Pyne, they skated day in, day out and created the first skate scene on the Irish West Coast. Ritchie went on to become one of the best skaters in Ireland. Andy still skates, but not as much due to his first love, surfing!

When he was 15, his family moved to Lahinch, this would be the first time Andy would see surfing in Ireland. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing & knew that this was something he had to do. Everything else was dropped & surfing was now top of his list.

His first board was a “single fin old 70’s style thing”(as Andy refers to it) and goes on to finish his sentence: “I loved it!” At the age of 16 he bought 5ft11” Wave Graffiti from a pro. His surfing was really improving, his turns were coming together & it was time to start surfing the local reefs. His favourite waves became Crab Island and Spanish Point. Crab Island is still his favorite. “So much power out there, even though it’s a bit crowded these days”. His favourite surfers are Occy, Slater, Archy and his Aussie mates, Grant & Jimmy. “Respect”.

So a few years down the line, a lot of experience under the belt, traveling, songs sung & stories to tell, Andy is now surfing as a flow rider on the Rukos Team, sponsored by DVS Shoe Company.

SURFBOARDS:
He has 5 boards in his quiver. His grovel board is a 5ft8” x 20 little fish. His standard board is a 6ft1” x 18 x 2¼. His big wave board is a 6ft8”. He loves them all.

TRAVEL:
He is fortunate enough to have an Australian wife, so travel is always on the menu. So he gets to spend a lot of time hanging in Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. His travels have been extensive & he has surfed in a few locations around the globe: Australia, Morocco, Indonesia, Scotland and Ireland. And he is always looking out for a new destination…where to next? Only time will tell!

INTERESTS:
Besides Surfing you mean? Well he sings & plays guitar – even has his own album which he sells at gigs, and recently started working on a new one. “I make most of my loot out of it”, he says. Collecting old beat up guitars is a hobby of his. When he lived in Switzerland, he snowboarded a lot as well – the next best thing to surfing!