For the last three months he's been healing the heel, and while most people would love a few months to rest their feet, for a professional athlete it spells frustration. So while his World Tour peers were tackling big, brown Supertubos Parko waddled down to tackle waist high Superbank.

October's not normally revered for its Queensland wave count. Brisk northerly winds frequent the southern Coral Sea, usually blowing out any swells that care to make landfall.

It's somewhat of an eye catcher. The heading, I'm talking about - 'Trials for the Trials'. Doesn't the Quiksilver Pro run its own Trials anyway, I hear you ask?

Perhaps Bede knows something the rest of us don't?

Watch as they dart around the line up playing the ball and not the man

Adam Weathered photographs Bede Durbidge

Oh, to live the life of a young professional surfer!

Dorrington reigns the fins in and finishes with a flourish

Everybody knows that the bird is the word

It's time to wet the whistle