Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Tom,
The SUP rider was my good friend Garrett McNamarra.
I agree that the board was being forced into a situation beyond its design parameters. Then again, maybe some giant of a madman surfer, would have been fine with it.

Jamie,
Yea, mind surfing them was inevitable.
I found it absolutely mesmerizing.
I watched it at least 6 times (and will again) studying every ride scrutinizing board performance.
What stands out in this, as apposed to scenes from Teahupoo, is that the riders often had to adjust their lines of attack and pump turns in the barrel for continued momentum.
Sometimes that wasn't enough.
Even the tow board guys suffered cavitation as the wave surged and bulged along the latter part of some rides.
The power was obvious and astounding to witness.

The "in the barrel" wipeouts showed a lot of variation on how to deal with it and how one is often unable to control the situation.

the SUP got it fricken handed to him he slid headfirst into the axe
i'm not sure any of those wipeouts showed any premeditated escape technique and i dont think any of them penetrated out the back and escaped a thrashing. i'm not sure anything would do you any good if you lost it in the maw of a 15'+ grinding barrel. maybe just the ability to hold your breath for a very, very long time. i wonder what the ride in to the inside reef and lagoon was like? spectacular surf

tubes snnuubes

they guy who tried the reo at 52 seconds had me on repeat playback


i think the orange longboard made it onto Magic Seaweeds photo of the day a few days back

Good analysis Bud, I was shocked how hard they had to work-it to stay ahead of disaster.
That SUP wipe-out was just pure hideous ; looked like the inside edge of the lip ( and very nearly the board ) hit him right in the face, makes me want to curl into a fetal position everytime I watch it.

Smokin Rock wrote: maybe just the ability to hold your breath for a very, very long time.

Watching that footage I had to remember to breath

I've surfed those breaks but nowhere near that size, the power in fiji is equal to anywhere in the world, when it gets over 8' any board you have that you think will handle it no worries will more than likely pull up short. You need rhino chasers with thickness to get into the bastards, as usually there is a howling trade wind,because fiji only gets these swells through winter. Constant stiff s/easters blowing up the face. The hold downs are lung busting and the sets are continuous, well they seem like it anyway. Fuken awsome though

I know I've seen this before but now I know it is the same guy having a crack on three different craft. Can't make up my mind about this one.

http://www.surfline.com/surflinetv/grea ... mara_58799

Those are beautiful waves, but hell wipeouts. This Cloudbreak footage, like what we've seen from Teahupoo recently, shows the incredible power in big, fast-breaking hollow waves. The hydrodynamic energy in those things must be enormous. There's no way I can see you could escape an absolute flogging if you go down in the pit on one of those beasts. the most common problem that those guys faced was penetrating the water once they hit it: most of 'em were moving so fast they just skipped across the surface. Looks like Simon's theory of staying on no matter what might be the soundest, even if only for the possibility that you might actually make the wave in the end. For sure at big Cloudbreak diving off the board looks more likely to result in limb dislocations, busted ribs, whiplash, bruising, boardshort strippng, saltwater enemas and winding followed swiftly by a trip over the falls and into the reef. I think a large set of figs would help cushion the impact.

I'd recognize that footage anywhere. Huge glassy clean Cloudbreak, you usually don't see it like that

That guy going vert on the reo early on is a hero. Heck they're all heroes in my book, I love watching talented footboarders doing their thing!

I'd say Garret M got it the worst. Not only did he get the axe it looked like the board and paddle were all in close proximity

i think on bigger waves you tend to slide away from your board quicker
because you tend to be moving faster, plus the lip takes that fraction longer
to pitch over....you can fall off on a small wave, have the board go over the falls and hit you in the nuts all in a fraction of second, ouch

Always love re-reading this post

..just wanted to bring this thread back to life given its popularity in the past, and how hard it was to find it.