2 August, 2019 2 August, 2019

Skeleton Bay Still Very Much Alive

 
Once the swell peaked on Tuesday 30th July any concerns or talk about the bank being imperfect were quickly put to rest, better yet dismissed. You could once again look from the top to the bottom, it looked as straight as ever.
 
Watching tube hounds like Koa Smith and Benji Brand together with relative newcomers Brett Barley and William Aliotti make impossibly long tubes from start to finish Skeleton Bay is officially back and still the best and heaviest wave on earth. 
 
All images – Alan Van Gysen and Ian Thurtell
 
 
 
“With this swell, the uniqueness came in the swell direction, it was super west. The most west I’d seen since 2014, which took what the bank was and just ruler edged it, making it so straight and dreamy. Having such a big west swell is rare so that’s 100% something that stood out, making the bank absolutely perfect. Then there was how heavy the swell was, I can only compare it again to that 2014 swell. Was also so nice to see the wave relatively uncrowded, thanks to the US Open no doubt. All in all, a great trip!” – Alan Van Gysen 
 
 
 
“What made this year so different revolved around the general consensus that the wave in Namibia had been deteriorating, breaking up in sections kinda what was seen on the first swell a couple of weeks back. Over the last couple years or so, it’s been kinda average, by the donkey’s standards. Obviously, there’s been a couple of decent swells to pull through, last year for instance.” – Alan Van Gysen 
 

“All the flight cancellations, delays, money spent and travel complications are forgotten when you get to this beach. It’s been a wild week but it was all worth it.” – Benji Brand

 

Michael Veltman and Douw Steyn made the trek up west a couple of weeks before this last swell, supplying us with this sweet edit!

For the full interview that covered there trip, smash your keyboard here!

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