WHAT a weekend that was. I could say I told you so, but then really it was not a secret, was it? Saturday delivered a decent pulse in swell opening up options at Wainui for those with good paddle fitness (not me), while other spots offered gentler but fun options
Feast of good waves after long lean spell
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That session I was lucky enough to be in the water at “that bank” to witness Bobby Hansen and Johnny Hicks pull into some of the sickest barrels I have seen out there in a while. They were far from big, but they were fast, warping and anything but easy.
Still, those two Wainui lads seemed to make time go in slow motion as they dropped in, calmly slotted themselves deep inside the tube, hovered over the foam ball for as long as they desired, then, cool as could be, slipped out without batting an eye.
Paddling back out after kooking yet another set, I watched Hansen put on a masterclass, stalling then pumping, stalling then pumping his way through a head-high backhand tube for what must have been close to 10 seconds before flying out, swooping a bottom-turn to do it all over again.
After that second three-hour session I thought I was done. The swell was meant to drop. I downed a beer and was ready for a decent lie-down. But just as I began to relax I thought, “maybe it is still pumping”. My mate and I shot down to check and, sure enough, it was.
The tide had filled in a little to make the waves peel slightly slower, and the rights were looking mighty fine. Every now and then an absolute bomb set roared through. It was hissing and heaving, and with hardly anybody out, presumably all smashed from a long day in the surf and the sun.
My friend and I looked at each other and hooted and hollered as it turned into another epic session (the third and best of the day). Leaving the water I could barely walk, and yes, my eyes were bleeding. To see what went down, check out Derek Fryer’s Facebook page (that said, I don’t know a Gizzy surfer who doesn’t give his page a daily glance).
Looking at the Gisborne surf radar, it seems like those days of endless offshores might be gone, for the next few days anyway. The summer-that-wasn’t out west looks to have turned. Might be time to do a little exploring on the other side of Te Ika a Maui (I know I will be).
See you out the back (on the search).