Early February, 2024:
With the charts showing the first significant southerly swell of the year, young Manly local Will Somerville along with Michael Lavers and Jonah Putaansuu, put a two-pronged plan into action.
The first point of order was to maximise surf time while the swell was striking their local shores, then to quickly board a plane and overtake the swell for a second serving further north in Fiji.
Willygrom, as Will is otherwise known, details the decision-making leading up to the trip:
“The first time I heard that a trip to Fiji could be on was a couple days out, while planning to hit a south-swell favoured wave here on the East Coast”
Temperate not tropical, sand not coral, and though they're both lefts it wasn't quite the warm-up needed for Cloudbreak (Brokensha)
“The swell we were planning to surf here was forecast to hit Fiji a couple days after. A few other boys got around it after the charts were lining up favourably - winds are a major factor over there.”
“We originally figured it was going to be 5-6 feet on the peak of the swell so when we booked we weren't anticipating having to take step-ups. But after checking Swellnet and chatting to forecaster Craig it was clear the storm and swell had significantly upgraded. We were now anticipating at least 10 feet of swell.”
“This presented a problem as my step-up is a 5’7”, so we all had to change quivers for it. I was thinking if I couldn't get step-ups I was going to shoot water, but luckily ended up getting a couple of longer boards and vests from Jonesy [Sam Jones] and Kel [Michael Lavers], which gave me no excuses for it.”
“We did the trip through a local named Maikeli and he told us that it was going to be on. On Monday the 5th we paddled out to 2 foot Cloudbreak in the morning and by night it was in the 6-8 foot range and still building."
“I can't actually remember what day I got this wave," see sequence above and below taken by Jason Acott, "but it was pretty early on. The waves were consistently breaking on the first ledge in the same spot and then going really square towards the inside west bowl.”
“I was on one of Jonesy's boards, 6’1" Kirk Bierke so paddling wasn't an issue, instead it was tricky to get one as everyone was hungry.”
“I remember someone pulling back last minute [ Will later found out it was Balaram Stack] so I swung and went. It ended up being pretty fun and ran for a while. That same arvo, some local Fijians and big names like Mick, Parko, and Balaram all got some psycho ones.”
Like a seagull on a loose chip, Willygrom spins late and gets a runner that makes the cost of the strike mission worthwhile (Sequence by Jason Alcott)
“Towards the backend of the trip, a day after the peak of the swell, the waves got raw and shifty with consistent wash-throughs. During this session, Tosh Tudor was a standout, getting multiple bombs."
Tosh Tudor fully focussed (Bystrom)
“Then, around midday, a solid 10 foot+ wall of whitewash mowed down everyone at the top of the lineup, including myself. I didn't bail and held onto my board, yet still got a pretty long hold down.”
“After copping a couple of these on the head I was pushed backwards till I was in line with the boats. Probably the third wave of the set I blacked out on my board as I was coming up from a hold-down. It wasn't long but I remember waking up with my head face down on my board and was pretty rattled.”
“Luckily there was a break and I managed to get out to the boats where a few people were looking for me.”
“The trip definitely a great eye opener and I got a lot out of it.”
Comments
6’1” step ups has me feeling about 100 years old.
Ha! So true.
Only feels like yesterday that even as a grom you shortest board was 6'1" and your step up (if you actually HAD a second board ) was like a 6'8" - 7'0".
Those hold downs.
Saw some video where Gentil got washed up onto the reef.
Happy memories. It's a nightmare scenario getting washed up onto that reef.
Caves, crevices, live coral everywhere under your feet.
Best wave in the world with possibly the worst hold down/caught inside in the world. You're not getting washed into a lagoon in Fiji!
I was there in May last year for a decent size swell, on my last day, I'd been out all morning then suddenly got caught out to deep with about a 5 wave set. I got pushed into the shish-kebabs section and was trying to duck-dive under these 6-8ft white-water waves on the bricks. I should've turned round and just lagooned. But didnt, i ended up getting ragdolled under water, scraped from ear to back, even had a small hole in my head with pieces of reef in it. Was a definite wake-up call.
I heard the hold downs are because of the way the reef drains you straight back into the impact zone. Have you really surf cloud break if you haven’t had one of these? Still got the scars 10 yrs on. (Ye old Fiji tattoo )
Must we use violent military analogies to describe our overseas surf travels.
Uh oh the language police have arrived.
Bit more than just language, our language voices who we are. Pretty disgusting to use military language so flippantly given the genocide in Palestine.
It's just part of the surfing vernacularly. Not taking away from the atrocities occurring in the Middle East, but I'd just try and look past that word if it triggers you Stephen.
Lighten up, champ.
Can I use that term? Like, have you ever won anything?
Oh God the lefties have arrived.
Cancel the fun everybody !
I'm a lefty and I'm still having fun.
Is that OK with you righties?
I was a leftie once, but I got better.
There's hope for you still, Stu.
I’m not sure which language , is it…..two pronged plan, first point of order, striking, planing to hit, getting multiple bombs (the winner? ) , mowed down everyone, or decision making? Mmmmm, sounds like a strike mission!
Mate it's a surfing site and it's commonly used language in the community. Take your politics/views elsewhere please where they are more likely to be welcome.
Bit of friendly fire never hurt anyone
Seriously ..... Let's not use any language that offends anyone... In other words, you can't say anything at all ever ...
Is Stephen Allen actually Southernraw? sounds like something he would whinge about
I think he is just jealous he didn’t get fired out of a barrel like a cannon during a strike mission dawn patrol.
Ha.
TBH, I hadn't realised till now how many surfing terms have been borrowed from the military. Probably just a testosterone thing.
I reckon the crossover comes from the fact that surfing heavy waves is a dangerous situation of peak experience where split second decisions matter. In both places people can be caught up in circumstances out of their control and have to negotiate their way through them.
There's probably an honours thesis in there. I don't think the crossover of terms has to necessarily glorify violent military action. Pretty simplistic to take that view. None of these terms is actually perjorative against any under represented group. Holy smokes now the Military Industrial Complex has got it's mitts on surfing!
We're everywhere.
A couple days out ? There’s an " of “ in there. Unless we’re all now living in Florida, or attempting to sound like Kelly Slater at age 19
I don't think anyone is is glorifying the military through slang, but while were on the subject, when the media describe someone who has killed or maimed someone as the "Shooter" i think it is glorification. It's an Americanization we can do without.
Good point detaching responsibility and accountability for our actions is widespread
Shooter or gunmen Instead of killers or assailants
Casualties instead of victims
Victim in pain.
Will have to do a recce out there one day
On the subject of language, and I have no probs with most surfin lingo, but is it just me when guys say " I really smashed that chick" and I wince at the actual violence of such an expression... (lefty but not a canceller)