Blowholes at Whale Cove - Gnarly Cape big wave session
07/06/11 - 13:30:41PM ~ By Zigzag ~
When a strong cold front threatens to swamp the Cape Peninsula, bringing with it the promise of deep groundswell lines and giant peaks, you'll find a group of core and committed big wave surfers who start wringing their hands together and dusting off their big wave rhino chasers.
Calls are made to their big wave surfing buddies, guys they can trust to pull them out of the heaviest situations the ocean can throw at them, and decisions are made as to which of their favourite big wave spots are going to be on.
Ace Zag photographer Alan van Gysen, and videographer Brandon Kilbride, are part of the inner circle in this big wave brotherhood. When a recent large frontal swell started lighting up a few of Cape Town's gnarlier spots, they were informed that a certain reefbreak was going to be firing.
Whale Cove is frequented more by the ocean's biggest citizens than by surfers, but when nature calls and the opportunity arises, this group of surfers are quick to answer. Check out Alan's epic slideshow above, then sit back and enjoy Brandon's amping video edit below.
Drop your comments on this article below...
squeak:
slide 20/27 - unidentified? same guy appears on slide 27 - with a massive red nose spray, charging a place like that, and he remains unidentified? guy charges in the video as well, let's give him the credit he deserves, that's sick; anyone?! 2011-06-10 17:17:06
Skunk:
Haha Twiggy, I lagged when I read your comment. Tame? Pull the other one bru... That said, it is amazing to see guys like Dave Richards and Josh Redman taking up the torch here and riding these waves like this. What you can't always see is how thick and intense these waves are, or feel how much paddle-power you need just to be able to catch them. Apparently Dave was out on 6'11 or something that day, a toothpick for these type of conditions, but he surfed it amazingly. 2011-06-10 11:29:19
JoeSoap:
Whale Cove..... mmmm... Yeah right. Nice alias... thanks for not blurting it out Zag ;-) Have seen this spot fire and this clip is an average day. thank goodness it is very inconsistent otherwise we'd have ourselves another Outer Kom/ Sunset. 2011-06-09 21:41:25
Twig:
Yea boys....Great to see the younger guys pushing the limits out there on the shorter boards. Makes what we have been doing in the past on those giant guns look a little tame and it's amazing to see how quickly the big wave game is transforming!! 2011-06-09 18:11:57
