CORMAC O’Loughlin is well known locally for success at All-Ireland and Munster Senior Cup rugby with Shannon RFC, but now the 29-year old has ventured into a completely different sport-Surfing! As he prepares to head to Morocco for a week of “catching waves” he explains that he has also just received an order of exclusive quality surfboards, which have now become part of his own unique brand ‘Shallow Reef’.

The surfboards are now in a warehouse and are ready for sale. The Shallow Reef logo is on every board, which have been shaped by master shapers in the US,” Cormac said.

The Caherdavin native is building his own brand of surfboards in a market, which is growing all the time.

“You'd be surprised. It’s one f the fastest growing sports at the moment. There could be one to two hundred surfers in the water at various beaches on any weekend,” Cormac explained.

It wasn’t until his sister’s husband and fellow Shannon rugby teammate, Andrew Thompson, took Cormac on a surfing weekend, that he ever imagined starting a business that would see him literally riding the crest of a wave.

“Andrew took a small group of us surfing and I have kept it going. There are some fantastic sports to surf including Lahinch reefs, Spanish point, Doolin and Doonbeg. I’m surfing two and a half years now. As I speak to you I’m just about to head of to Morocco to a little fishing village where there is some unbelievable point break waves,” Cormac said.

‘Point Break’, for those who don’t know their waves from their elbow, is a wave that breaks onto a rocky point in the shape of a mountain peak before it crashes down onto the sea level again.

Through his love for surfing, it wasn’t long before Cormac decided to mix business with pleasure and form his own company Shallow Reef, which is operating form a warehouse in Limerick at present with an online selling website.

“I set the business up a few months ago. It’s a competitive market but I hope to do well. My boards are really good quality and are cheaper than most other retailers because I don’t have any overheads or staff to pay. I hope to expand into surfing clothes and accessories if the boards sell reasonably well. It’s always an option.”

Contact Cormac on 086-3861422 or visit his surf board website at www.shallowreef.ie

Written by David Raleigh - Copyright © 2009 Limerick Independent News