Surfers often develop a fixation on one particular wave. They’re drawn to its character like a one-sided love affair, obsessed with mastering its unpredictability, which keeps them coming back for more. For 18-year-old Xavier Stark, that wave is Shipstern Bluff.
The Cronulla plumber, who has joined Tracks as its newest team rider, has spent 2026 pouring his apprentice wage into chasing swells south to Tasmania, chipping away at the Shippies steps and installing himself into one of those wide caverns that break in front of the iconic cliffs.
“That’s been the focus this year,” he said. “Ever since my first visit there I’ve been obsessed with the place. The personality of that wave is insane – the barrel is incredible, the journey and walk in through the National Park is amazing, the whole atmosphere is just mental.”
Xav’s fixation with the wave is helped by the fact his uncle lives in the area, making the trip across both logistically and financially viable.
“It’s great getting to mix in with the locals there,” he said. “They’re really cool people, and having access to their knowledge really pays off. I try to spend time watching the waves they pick out and learn off them.”
He first visited Shippies at 16, on a trip with slab connoisseur Kipp Caddy, one of the most respected big-wave slab surfers on the east coast, who’s been happy to play mentor to Xavier, with the pair both living on Sydney’s south side.
“He took me down to Shippies for the first time,” Xav said. “He’s always sort of giving me insight on where it’s gonna be good… showed me the ropes a bit.”
One of the regular footer’s standout Shippies moments came on a session with a couple of friends, including photographer Sam Venn. After surfing all day with mixed results, he paddled back out later in the afternoon as the sun began to dip. By then, Bronte’s Taco Kovacic was the only other surfer in the water.
When a solid set ledged on the reef, Taco took the first wave, and Xavier stroked into the second. Sam Venn was there to capture the moment.
“It was like a chip into pretty much a huge slab – really perfect,” Xavier said. “It was the sickest wave of my life… The sun was on the face of the wave, and it created a really nice backdrop for the shot.”
While Shippies has been the focus this year, Xav credits his love of slabs to the shallow-water setups back home in Cronulla. Waves like Shark Island and Cape Solander shaped his surfing into what it is today.
“The Island is what got me into all these slabs,” he said. “It’s so hollow and shallow out there – some of them provide the gnarliest wedge, and if you backdoor one of them you can get the craziest barrel of your life.”
Xav counts his lucky stars that he gets to call Cronulla home.
“We have so many crazy waves right on our doorstep,” he said. “It’s also only a short drive out of Sydney and down to the south coast, where there’s so many more options. You’re also so close to the airport, and it’s only a short flight to Tassie. We’re lucky in Australia that we don’t have to travel far to score some heavy waves.”
That geographical advantage is also a financial one. While Xav dreams of a future where sponsors cover travel costs and he can join the elite crew chasing swells around the globe, he appreciates the independence his trade gives him, and he’s happy to save his money to keep chasing waves around the country.
“I’m really hoping we get another winter swell before the season is up,” he said. “I’d love to spend some time down in South Aus and try some of the more remote setups down there.”
For now, Xav is focused on finishing his apprenticeship, but his desire to chase heavy water never wanes.
“I surf purely for the love of it. You always want to find that bigger and better one… you’re never satisfied. I just think there’s always going to be a better, bigger wave to chase.”
Happy hunting, Xav.
