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Choisinn 'Going Concave' a' chiad duais ann an earrann nan àrd-sgoiltean ann an Co-fharpais Sgrìobhaidh Nèill Ghunnaich, 2007. 'S e Alasdair Coghill o Àrd-sgoil Inbhir Theòrsa a sgrìobh e.
'S e 'Àiteachan Gàidhealach' cuspair a bha a' comharrachadh Gàidhealtachd 2007, bliadhna Cultar na Gàidhealtachd an Alba. 'S e na britheamhan ann an earrann nan àrd-sgoiltean Cailean Fearghasdain o Urras Nèill Ghunnaich agus Stephanie Hoyle, Àrd leabharlannaiche, Sgoiltean.
Tha Co-fharpais Sgrìobhaidh Nèill Ghunnaich air a chur air dòigh le luchd-obrach Seirbhis Foghlaim, Cultair & Spòrs aig Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd le taic o Urras Cuimhneachaidh Nèill Ghunnaich. Chaidh a chur air bhonn ann an 1988.
Going Concave
Shadows. Although this time the ghostly fingers on my window weren't a dream.
"Psst, Ali.. you there mate?"
I looked over, the hellish glow of the alarm clock caught my eye first. 5.02 AM. I rolled out of bed and stumbled towards the window. It opened with a squeak. "Get your stuff", croaked the voice.
"You know what time it is?" I coarsely protested.
"Ali, get your stuff, we're going".
I didn't ask; Zach always had a reason, just not usually this early. After clumsily finding some clothes and a towel I crept from my room.
"Mum. 5.05 AM, going out surfing with Zach apparently. Got mobile and bike. Ali x."
The note lay derelict on the empty kitchen table. I grabbed a carton of orange juice and a Pop-Tart and whipped on my coat. The morning air pierced my skin.
Zach was waiting for me, a hoody shielding him from the cold. He had already taken my bike and black board bag from the garage. My black travel bag? He must have picked up the wrong bag. That one contained my big board, for big waves. I picked it up and walked back towards the garage. He stopped me. "Your 6'6"." He said with an air of pride.
"Oh." I replied. I didn't know what to say, I'd only used this board twice. "What's doing?"
"You have to see for yourself," he grinned.
I stuffed my wetsuit into a bag and we set off. I persisted in my enquiry. "Really mate, where?"
"Be patient!"
The grass was wet and in the morning gloom and you couldn't see the puddles. He rode through a few and got soaked. That's karma for the Freddy Krueger window stunt.
We got to the car park at Thurso East and it was OK, but not worth the wake up call. I began to speak but he hushed me. "Just wait," he said anxiously. The sun had just started to rise and the sea radiated a brilliant gold. I zipped up my jacket over my mouth. "Watch," he said. A streak had formed half way out in the bay but I was distracted by the glare of the windows across at Scrabster.
"Look!"
I flinched and looked round. The Old Man of Hoy was stood, still as ever. Piercing brilliance of the Pentland Firth with it's usual dominance.
But I noticed the streak had formed into a sizeable bump. Then into a mound. Then into a mountain. It towered above the still sea and held itself high. Crash. The wave detonated onto the reef and the sound boomed around the castle walls. And then another. Another warrior marched into the bay and forced itself down onto the reef.
Then silence. Not a soul existed on this planet but us at that moment.
I turned, "Shall we?"
Then came an ecstatic reply, "Come on."
He was changed first and I was still finishing off my 'breakfast'. He ran down the grass and out onto the stone desert. Splash. Contact. He was in, this was it. I saw him occasionally look over his shoulder for me as he paddled out, but I waited. Waited to see if this was possible. Before long he was out the back and I began to seek out my wetsuit and boots. Then I heard a shout.
I squinted against the light. I saw Zach paddling out to sea, then I saw why. A dark wall of water was coming to meet him. It started to pitch up, "Go on! Have it!" I screamed. He turned and started to paddle. "Take it! Go on!"
The wave picked him up and all of eight feet went concave beneath him. 'Don't stop mate,' I thought. Any lack of commitment would result in him not having enough speed to get out of the top lip of the wave. Up and over the waterfall. He didn't stop.
Hanging atop the wall of gold like an eagle. Then came the swoop. He glided low.
Avoiding the branches of water. He waited for a second and bottom turned. Climbing the mountain, he leant back, and stalled. The wave caught up with him and he stood up and accelerated. He was in! Inside the monster. "Come out mate!" I belted. He didn't, but he was close, very close. Eight or nine seconds later and he was back up and began to paddle back out. I grabbed my board and ran down the reef. He shouted back to me in an adrenaline filled voice, "Nothing's too hard for Freddy Kruger!"
I chuckled and attached my ankle leash. I stepped off into the water and smiled.
This is what we lived for.
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