“The normal clichés about being a ‘surfer girl’ don’t apply when you live in County Clare,” Sophie Hellyer tells me. Sophie is poised at the wheel of her wagon, looking out across a wind-blasted Atlantic coastline just north of Doolin, in the far west of Ireland. No placidly perfect, cobalt blue waves today. No California dreaming for this girl.

This summer I became the first British (or Irish!) female to feature surfing on the cover of Surf Girl Magazine. It was also the first cover to have no logos, branding or sponsorship.