Gardaí in Waterford have been "riding a wave" of popularity with surfing youth from the inner city over the past eight weeks, writes Ciarán Murphy.

The Surfing Abu! project has taken youngsters from the city's disadvantaged areas to Tramore for 10 weeks of surfing. Gardaí stationed at the seaside town and from the city attend.

Around 40 children were brought to the beach by gardaí for a "meet-and-greet" and an eco-hike on July 7th.

Groups of around 10 children, aged from seven to 12, were given lessons one night per week since then.

This will culminate on September 15th with another eco-hike and a surf-off between the participants, ending in a barbecue and trophy presentation. "The gardaí should be getting a lot of credit for this," said Eric Randall, who is one of the organisers of the project.

Randall, from the Pacifica area of San Francisco, met Tramore man Martin Cullinane while surfing in California 15 years ago. He has been surfing in Ireland every year since.

On a "sabbatical" from his job in the petroleum industry in the US, he has been in Ireland for around "a year, on-and-off".

At present he is volunteering his services to the T-Bay surf club in Tramore.

The pair came up with the surfing idea after a Garda "surf day" last December.

"We approached them, and first started talking to them about doing something."

Grant aid came from Waterford Sports Partnership and Waterford County Council.

"I've seen the kids transformed over the summer," said Randall.

"This has raised the kids' respect for the gardaí. They are learning that the best things in life are earned."

He added: "The kids are having a ball - the reaction has been phenomenal."

Martin Cullinane (35), director of the surf centre in Tramore and a member of the surf club, said he was "bitten by the bug" after giving surfing lessons in Brittas Bay and has not been put off by the "hard work".

He said the project has proved to be very "intense", with a lot of the participants demanding individual attention.

Cullinane added: "Half of them have never even seen the ocean and they live only seven miles up the road."

He said: "This is a real community project; the gardaí are totally with the kids."

On September 6th, a group of youths will come from Wales for a "cultural exchange".

The Welsh youths, who will stay with members of Surfing Abu!, will take part in a dune-conservation project, involving grass-planting in sand hills, and a beach clean-up.

This project, in co-operation with Keep Wales Tidy, An Taisce and Waterford County Council, will see the Waterford group heading to Wales for a rematch, including social events.

And surfing, of course.