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
Benji Brand fresh off a Padang Cup win. Despite being in the US Open, the minute he saw this swell on the charts Benji bowed out of competition and jumped a flight for Africa. Although he's been barrelled enough for us all at Skeleton Bay, he knows we all only have a short season in which to make the most of gifts like this.
At dusk the waves were as heavy as they come.
Unknown charger in the eye of the needle and about to feel the foam-ball.
Unknown Australian watches William Aliotti thread his very first wave at Skeleton Bay. Four weeks of Desert Point (Indo) had William well rehearsed and ready for the worlds other best desert point.
At a place where it is near impossible to capture a single wave from start to finish Koa Smith knows he needs to get creative to show the rest of the world how incredible a wave actually is at Skeleton Bay. Drones and Fusion making the impossible, possible.
Arguably the best in the world at Skeleton Bay - Koa Smith. In his own words, "This place truly rules my world."
Ride the tube isn't the only challenge at Skeleton Bay; getting out and timing your paddle-out between seemingly endless sets is another challenge.
When the high tide coincided with the peak of the swell on Tuesday afternoon water rushed over the narrow sand strip cover nearly the entire strip...
Even after all the barrels Koa Smith has seen at Skeleton Bay, he still can't help be amazed by the sheer radicalness of this wave.
William Aliotti on location and filming for an upcoming feature documentary on the history and dynamism of Skeleton Bay by William Bendix, Alan van Gysen and Calvin Thompson. Stay tuned.
Michael Veltman and Douw Steyn made the trek up west a couple of weeks before this last swell, supplying us with this sweet edit!
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.