Behind the Shot - Leroy Bellet and Scott Dennis
Words and photos by a visually smitten Leroy Bellet.
Bobbing on the windswell, the sun beams down on our already sunburnt faces. A light nor-easter is tickling our cheeks, the only things not submerged in the warm water — it’s the start of summer, and boy it feels like it.
Waiting on a set, the minutes pass by, if you didn’t know this break you’d think we were wasting our time, heck, maybe we are. Several people walk down onto the warm, dark grey, igneous rock shelf but leave after half-an-hour or so of no action.
And then, just as the hunger takes hold of our stomachs - no metaphor, we’re actually starving - a lump looms on the indicator. Facing the other direction to avoid chronic sunburn, I pay no attention to it myself. The sound of the jet ski is a little reality snap and I spin around to see Whip fading onto the inside of a gem, just in time to thrust out an arm. Unlike most other times, Whip isn’t looking at me or posing for the camera, probably because being grated along an unfriendly barnacle-encrusted slab is not the best way to start summer.
Ironically, unlike most other times, I wasn’t looking at Whip. I was caught captivated by the translucent, electric blue streaks as they chased this intruder to the channel. Colour like that only ever exists momentarily, so you’ve gotta admire it when you have the chance; the camera will never do it justice.
I don’t think many people look forward to cyclone season, but this short glimpse of Coral Sea creation has me stuck in a state of permanent anticipation. //LEROY BELLET
Comments
If you go to Coastalwatch and look at their most recent Wave of the Week, you will see the video of this wave including clear vision of photog Leroy Bellet taking these stills.
Towing into a wave with paddlers out. Interesting.
This wave is almost impossible to paddle at size. Super quick and heavy, you get pitched, you are ending up on dry rock. Crazy!
To clarify I'd assume most of them are on lids. Every booger and his dog who wanted to get in riptide paddled it.
Craig is right in the sense the wave is sketch as.
Rabbits68: as I mentioned lots and lots of lid footage of the place. The video is far from representative.
Seeing the vid of this wave, he made it look so easy. The wave itself looked quite makable. That said a barnacle encrusted shelf just below certainly adds to the equation. Clearly deceptive from the comfort of my lounge room :-)
more legends with skis snaking paddlers
Hahah loving the tow hate. I don't know where anyone got the idea people were trying to paddle from... It was only the three of us there all day.
Thanks. X
Leroy.
I don't mind the tow, but I thought the above shots were from this wave where there seems to be quite a few people enjoying the day.
https://www.coastalwatch.com/videos/13864/video-scott-dennis-and-a-big-b…
Different day Wally.