Dunsborough surfers Jarryd Foster and Jake Osman recently returned from a big wave mission to Tasmanias Shipstern Bluff where they rode some of the heaviest waves on the planet.
The locals work their trades every other day but are also closely monitoring the heaviest and largest waves around the world to see where their next port of call will be.
The recent trip to Tasmania was the first surf at the break for Osman, and combined with Fosters experience at the wave where he once lived for years, it made for some exciting wave riding. The pair tow each other into the heavy slabs and rely on each other to get them in the right spot for the ultimate ride. The cold Tasmanian water creates huge storms and powerful swells which surge from deep water onto the shallow reef in front of a cliff.
During their super session the swells were peaking at 30 feet high and jet skis were needed to get onto the waves early. The pair were the first in the lineup at the crack of dawn and caught their share of waves before the crowds joined them.
“Being my first time it didnt really look surf-able but Jarryd convinced me it was and I jumped on the jet ski rope” Osman said.
Both riders chase the extra large waves for the adrenalin but its also the journey to get there thats all part of the adventure.
“The stoke you get when youre on the end of the rope waiting for a bomb, all that fear you get the night before magically disappears. I dont get that anticipation from anything else I do in life like you do waiting for a wave,” Osman said.
Its a fine line between pleasure and pain when the wave doesnt let the rider out or someone falls off. The heavy ledge of reef makes it even more difficult to ride and then there is a chance of being washed into the rocks under the cliff face. Luckily, the skis are quickly onto picking up their tow partner and the flotation vests are inflatable to minimise being held underwater.
According to the two, it was all worth it with some epic waves enjoyed by both with friendly locals cheering each other on in the line-up. The desire for more big waves around the world motivates the two to keep chasing the perfect swell and live the dream.
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Margaret River Mail
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