Last week Russell Bierke blessed our feeds with his version of a greatest hits album – a small time capsule of XL caverns, death-defying slabs and big waves most surfers don’t want a part of. This week, he’s breaking down some of those rides that have cemented him as one of the world’s top heavy water specialists.
Episode one of his ‘Watermarks’ series, edited by Andrew Kaineder, is an ode to ‘the bombie’, a sketchy South Coast slab that Russ has honed his skills on since the age of 11.
The remote, left-hand cavern sits roughly 1km offshore and if you aren’t fortunate enough to own a ski then you’ve got to paddle through some seriously sharky waters to get out there. The sense of vulnerability is enough to deter 99% of the surfing population.
“The mental battle of that alone is pretty wild,” says Russ. “It’s definitely a full on intimidating place.”
Once you get out there you’re greeted by an unruly left, which draws from deep water before bottoming out into a hollow freight train. If you’re lucky enough, it’ll stay open. If you aren’t so unfortunate, you’re likely to get flexed on the reef.
If that doesn’t sound scary enough, hit the link below to hear Russ talk about some of his most memorable rides at that wave.
