Fergal Smith is perhaps surfing’s most interesting man. And while he gets a bit of attention, it’s not nearly enough. Fergal, as you know, is one of the hardest-charging surfers on the planet. He’s also an avid gardener, a staunch environmentalist, and most recently, a would-be politician.

“I am running for the Green Party, for my daughter and all Irish children,” he wrote about his campaign. “We all appreciate the major problems our children are going to have to deal with, but perhaps less apparent is that the solutions for them already exist. The next generation needs leaders who are not afraid to lead them into these changing times. My priority is the environment; without healthy soil, nothing exists–trees, vegetables, grass, grazing animals and their produce.”

Although Fergal’s campaign wasn’t successful, he feels as though he’s still done some good. “Delighted,” he told Finisterre about the outcome. “We raised all the issues we wanted to bring forward, respected the earth and got people talking about the way we look after our planet. I might not have been elected but I feel we put green politics on the agenda in County Clare.”

This is an older video. Two years, old, to be exact. But it shows Fergal’s commitment to surfing, and that commitment is something he transfers to the rest of his life. This is Fergal’s winter.