Swells don’t get overhyped very often. Usually, when word of mouth spreads tales of massive, freight train barrels of mythical proportions, you can count on it all to live up to your every expectation. Cams and reports never get these things wrong. And once the big day comes, surfers don’t complain about their unfulfilled expectations because well, it all lives up to the hype. Every time.
I once had a friend who spoke of such a swell. Sure enough, I found him at Bells Beach, because who wouldn’t want to see one of their best bros ride waves during a once in a lifetime opportunity? I mean, if you want the ultimate, you’ve got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It’s not tragic to die doing what you love, you know? Anyway, it was a rad day at Bells. I’d thought about surfing Makaha, Dana Point, any number of places some buddies once told me were the biggest on record around a bonfire, but I just knew Bells was the call. And the chatter on the beach that day confirmed that friend and I had made the right move. This video shows our joyful reunion as I wished him luck on his session (we’d had a beef the last time I’d seen him), and the following is all the chatter you may or may not have heard from that fabled day…
Top Ten Things Overheard When The 50 Year Storm Arrived at Bells
10. “Hey bro, got any wax?”
9. “Is it me, or does this look a lot like Oregon?”
8. “Check out that dude paddling around the cliff, I wonder if he’s coming back”
7. “…Nope, looks like he’s going straight to New Zealand”
6. “Look at that left!”
5. “No way this is bigger than Waimea right now, bro”
4. “Who the hell still says vaya con dios?”
3. “I’m gonna call timeout and stroll on into the beach. I don’t like the way things are going.”
2. “Dammit! Surfline hosed me again! The report SAID good to epic, and this is shit!”
1. “Little hand says it’s time to rock and roll.”
