Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew is sitting on the beach at Pipeline and is staring out to sea. The waves are fifteen feet and the sets are even bigger. It is 1988. “Rabbit” has been coming here each winter for well over ten years... since he was a skinny little kid, in fact... and now he figures he knows the wave like the back of his hand. That’s why he is staring out to sea. Smart … [Read more...]
Titus Kinimaka’s nightmare Christmas
Only a very special few are capable of handling the very worst that the ocean can deal out. No one is a fitter, stronger, tougher, braver and more skilful all-around water man than Titus Kinimaka from Kauai, Hawaii. On Christmas day in 1989, Titus had the worst thrown at him and though he definitely did not walk away unscathed, he, at least, survived. Most of us wouldn’t … [Read more...]
The ocean is a trickster… especially Hawaii’s North Shore – Gas chambers bites the unwary!
The ocean often plays the role of a trickster as two young women who tried their luck at the Hawaiian North Shore “experts only” surfing spot, Gas Chambers, found out. Cara and Ana paddled out a two-person surf kayak at this shallow-breaking, reef-bottomed barrel generator with the gruesome name on what they thought was one of the North Shore’s mild and manageable days. The … [Read more...]
Death wish
Once in a blue moon the surf on Sydney’s northern beaches gets so big that it is virtually impossible to go surfing. Just about the last rideable spot on a huge day is the point break near Manly known as Fairy Bower. If the swell gets up and over eighteen or twenty feet, as a general rule, “The Bower” is the only place with deep enough water to hold up the waves and with a deep … [Read more...]
Fried nuts
The most horrific wipe-outs with the most awful of consequences can happen at the most insignificant moments. How often have you tried a shore break re-entry in small surf where you probably should not have? Most of us have a regretful memory of a shore break close out that has left us sore and sorry. Tom Carroll, from Newport Beach, Australia (one of the … [Read more...]