I’ve read the words “wave of my life” no less than 15 times scrolling social media this week. The Gold Coast has been that good, thanks to Cyclone Alfred. Everyday chargers have been out paddling into monsters and if you’re an Average Joe like myself, events like this tend to require equipment that’s not readily available in the quiver at home. Sure, maybe you have a step up, but a lot of the clips we’ve seen throughout the week needed more than just a couple extra inches from the daily driver.
Take one Gold Coast local, for example, who bought himself a proper browned, well-loved rhino chaser for $20 — the best $20 he’s ever spent.
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To give the cliffs notes, he caught a wave no less than two to three times overhead, got barreled out of his mind, and punctuated the ride with the appropriate “Holy sh**, did that just happen?” kind of response, hands to the head and all. At the end of the ride, none other than Mick Fanning had seen it all and recognized the board. It belonged to his brother, Ed, who tragically passed away just less than a year ago. The board was now buckled — its last ride — bringing a pretty cosmic experience for several people full circle.
The firsthand story is much better, detail by detail. It’s one of the greatest sentimental stories you’ll hear in surfing.
