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dillon : bombora, 1962 |
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Bob McTavish and
myself paddled down from "Fairy Bower" while Midget, Dave Passenger and
Kelvin platt came out from Freshwater.
As we approached
from the distance the waves grew bigger and bigger as they peaked over
20 ft. and crashed with a thundering roar on to the reef below.
After picking
our position to sit, we awaited our fate as a set rolled in.
I took off first
on my new 11' 3" gun board and as the wave lifted under my tail I knew
just how Jackman felt a year ago.
These waves were
different to anything I had tackled before; a vertical take-off with a
feeling of weightlessness as your board falls faster than your body.
Finally almost
driven to your knees as your body weight catches up with you, a moment
of hesitation as you fight for balance, then that fearful split second
as you wheel to the right to escape the crest as it peels off the top and
crashes in a cascade of spewing foam at your heels.
Ten seconds later
it was allover as you burst out on to the fat shoulder and safety.
This was to be
the pattern of events for the next three hours as we each felt the thrill
of the Bombora Giant.
Finding the correct
position to sit and await your fate is the problem; two yards either way
spells the difference between a blistering ride or utter annihilation.
Once in position
the swells bowl up a fraction to your left with a long wall to your right
and eventual safety.
To the left a
perfect shape but free falls claim the majority who attempt it.
The "Bombora" has been beaten before and will be beaten again, so next time it is rolling, in all its glory, and you fancy having a go, remember two things:
|
(inside) and Bob McTavish at Bombora |
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John William's new movie |
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Surfabout Quarterly Volume 1 Number 1 August 1962, page 23. |
| home | catalogue | history | references | appendix |