How It Feels to Get Barrelled in a Tasmanian Devil

I know I just did a post about how Go Pro shoots some cool shit, specifically their Sheckler NYC mini-video with their sick new remote hookups and whatnot, a ridiculous set-up in that it would require thousands of dollars of camera equipment and God only knows how much time to set it up. But seriously, Go Pro is allowing us to see some pretty fuckin' amazing extreme sports footage. Case in point, Mikey Brennan's "2 Days Before a Tasmanian Winter" video. This has 2 parts, the first part shot all on a waterproof Go Pro cam following Mikey as he lands on the Tasman peninsula and surfs some monster waves at legendary Australian spot Shipstern's Bluff. A couple things are going on here. They're towing in. The waves are gnarly. And it's 2 days before winter (our summer, for those not accustomed to equatorial dynamics) so those heavy waves are even heavier and cold as balls to boot. And with homeboy's waterproof handcam you get to be about as close to experiencing this crazy shit as you can without braving these punishing conditions.

I've never been inside a stand-up barrel, much less one that pitches way over my head. Very few people in this world actually have. I mean, the ability to surf these mackers is far over the head (literally and figuratively) of most surfers, much less average human beings. In fact, were I to try and surf these waves I'd probably break a few bones if not drown. And that's only if I had the balls to do so. Notice the subtle challenges like the little cleft where the wave literally forms a like crack you have to chop hop down going faster than you've probably ever gone outside a car and with nothing to support you and your speed upon landing but water, like trying to control a hydroplaning motorcycle. Notice the disorientation of a wipeout and how it resembles the disorientation of a foamball.

At the same time revel in the majesty of these perfect tubes, these freaks of nature in which somehow water has been possessed by these ghostly currents to self-sustain in a like-tunnel. Seriously, this is some of the raddest footage I've seen in a good-ass minute and, well, just watch the damn video.

 

Roaring winter fury. During our blazing summer solstice. Happy Friday

- Ryan