While it seemed like the whole planet has been pumping this week, with Teahupo’o going XL, the Rip Curl Padang Padang Cup lighting up and the points on the Gold Coast producing mechanical magic, it was a moment at a rare Sydney Bombie that stole the limelight. The wave that went viral was ridden by Tommy Myers, an underground charger with no interest in being the centre of attention.
While out at Queenscliff Bombie on Sydney’s Northern Beaches on Tuesday morning, Tommy hucked himself over the ledge and pulled into a lengthy XXL drainer, which despite going almond shape and almost clamping, spat him right out into the channel. The clip we posted to our social media instantly went crazy and currently has over half a million views.
It wasn’t the first time the president of the Freshwater Boardriders Club has made headlines out at the fickle big wave spot. Three months ago, he caught an almost identical wave (check out clip below) which went square and spat him into the channel. It also went viral on social media, with the likes of Nathan Florence calling it ‘the wave of a lifetime’.
Tommy, who is a father of two and works two jobs, couldn’t believe that the bombie had broken twice in a year.
“You could count on one hand how many times that wave has broken in the past decade so to get it twice this year is crazy. I don’t know what’s going on with the ocean and the weather but long may it continue.”
Over the past two days, Tommy said he’s put in over 15 hours in the water and is rashed up to the nines. “Yeh, it’s pretty red raw down there but it’s all good nothing we can’t fix.”
His water time has included multiple sessions at the Bombie, one of which was a novelty surf on Wednesday morning with just one friend out. However, his crowning moment was the clip (check out below) which went viral.
“There are certain parts of the reef where a few were coming in, there was a deep spot where they were throwing over more but the one I actually had a couple months ago was a wider one. This time I signaled to one of my mates that there were a few coming in over here and luckily this thing popped up. I hooted to let people know I wanted it, it took me a few digs to get into it and the rest was history. I pulled up into it and it started clamping a bit but it spat me straight out of it which was pretty epic.
“If I was being super critical I would say my one on Good Friday was a little better as it held its size throughout the wave, but both were super sick. The one on Good Friday was only captured on IPhone but this time there was camera’s and drones everywhere. People are starting to catch on that it’s a serious wave.”
On social media the Bombie has been compared to the likes of Jaws and XL Puerto Escondido. Tommy said it’s not for the feint hearted.
“It’s weird, the wave is a bombie but it breaks more like a slab. It’s hard to see it from the front angle but it draws so much water off the reef and when you pull into it there’s so much water behind it. It’s super gnarly, heavy and there were some serious beatings and two wave hold downs yesterday.”
Hundreds of surfers chimed in on social media, with some calling for it to be renamed ‘Tommy’s Bombie’. The GOAT 11x World Champion Kelly Slater also commented: “Same guy? Almost same looking wave! That’s amazing.”
Tommy said he came in from seven hours at the Bombie and his phone was ‘blowing up’.
“Me and my mate walked home from Queensy and I already had people coming up to me and saying that they’d seen my wave on social media.
“It was pretty mad to see Kelly comment. I’m not looking for the limelight at all but it’s always nice to get praise from people like that.”
As the swell begins to taper off, Tommy is back to work and on kid duties. But he’ll be keeping his eyes on the chart hoping for another swell before the Australian winter is up.
“I’m just so grateful that my job allows me to chase waves and then the real boss, the wife, she’s so supportive and looks after the kids while I’m out there putting hours in the water.”
