A Barrel for Christmas!

Have you been a good boy for Christmas?

Seems like I had been. After being sick for a week leading up to the festive days, I could see on the charts a BIG cyclone swell was on it’s way, which peaked on the 25th.

So speeding off early Christmas Day from Lismore (where my folks live), I headed straight for Main Beach Byron. It was massive.

Feeling a little weak post-flu, I was taking my time picking off the ones in between the big death closeout tunnels, and trying to get the milder death tunnels. On my second lap I stroked into this one, barely making the drop before lining up…

It was weird. I felt really calm. Even when I decided to go ‘no hands’ for the tube on my backhand (usually I get smashed trying it), there was this stillness. Then before I’d thought to contradict myself, there I was flowing freely within a beautiful aqua cave, with the odd moment of “your doing this without grabbing the rail”. Woohooo!

Instead of restricting, the barrel opened up and suddenly I was spat out. Apparently there were cheers from the carpark, but I didn’t hear a thing. I was dumbfounded. It’s not often I get that “buzz” surfing these days, that euphoric feeling you get from doing something extreme. But looking back from where I’d been, I was blown away that I actually made it without grabbing. So happy.

One of the most memorable waves of my life.

Thanks to ‘Joggly‘ and Kirra Pendergast for the sequence shots!

Post barrel STOKE!

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Tags: backhand tube, byron bay, christmas barrel, cyclone swell, joggly, johnny abegg, kirra pendergast, main beach, neal purchase surfboards, patagonia australia, photography, surfing