Watch: The Terror Vault // Part 1 - Cape Solander

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Stu Nettle (stunet)
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Tim Bonython's been productive during his COVID downtime, though not filming new swells, as he'd prefer, but sorting through years of old footage and compiling it into a new series: The Terror Vault.

It's not the glory rides he's chosen to highlight, but the opposite, the rides where the wave has its way and the surfer ends up like a bug on the windscreen.

Part 1 is Cape Solander, which, even when it's perfect, is a roll of the dice. For every completed ride - and Tim includes a few in here, see Mark Mathews, Jug, and Mooney who all make it to the channel - there's many more that cop a gruesome swatting.

Comments

JackStance's picture
JackStance's picture
JackStance Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 8:49am

I appreciate life is horses for courses, but, for me:

that is one of the best clips I've ever seen.

ringmaster's picture
ringmaster's picture
ringmaster Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 10:21am

Fucken Mental!!!

mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207 Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 10:45am

Faaasrk!! Helmet anyone? Thanks again Tim

Charlie Brown's picture
Charlie Brown's picture
Charlie Brown Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 11:06am

I'm a goofy-footed mal rider. Very keen to hit this spot soon.

Halfscousehalfcockneyfullaussie's picture
Halfscousehalfcockneyfullaussie's picture
Halfscousehalfc... Sunday, 3 May 2020 at 8:03am

Yeah I bet you’re chomping at the bit.....

Optimist's picture
Optimist's picture
Optimist Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 12:38pm

I found myself leaning into the wall next to me while watching this. Then afterward I needed a bex and a lie down.

crg's picture
crg's picture
crg Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 1:45pm

I remember watching that Red Bull comp and absolutely thinking someone was going to die.

Brian from Brissy's picture
Brian from Brissy's picture
Brian from Brissy Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 2:15pm

That fella on the jetski with dean Bowen.... is that matt Howard?

Walk around G's picture
Walk around G's picture
Walk around G Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 6:01pm

Or was it DH.........AGAIN! ;)

Justint's picture
Justint's picture
Justint Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 3:16pm

Mental wave. If you do actually make the barrel it seems the onlu way out is to get flung into the air with the backwash and get a mega slap on your back for the effort

wax-on-danielson's picture
wax-on-danielson's picture
wax-on-danielson Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 3:51pm

Does superman out of the barrel count as a make?

Denyer's picture
Denyer's picture
Denyer Monday, 4 May 2020 at 10:30am

I think it should be considered a make at this wave.

Mac Snaps's picture
Mac Snaps's picture
Mac Snaps Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 4:20pm

Death by Backwash

blackers's picture
blackers's picture
blackers Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 4:37pm

Oh man. That multi step on that wave near the end was just cruel. Bloke makes it over all those hazards only to be caught in the flats and smashed by the lip right on the boil rock. Fun to watch, thanks for sharing Tim.

wbat's picture
wbat's picture
wbat Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 5:20pm

That was amazing. Crazy stuff.

Shaun Hanson's picture
Shaun Hanson's picture
Shaun Hanson Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 5:32pm

Fuk a dead horse batman !! ...all that bendin the wrong way on those wipeouts them fellas are goona hurt come fifty ...im in awe of there comitment ...

Westofthelake's picture
Westofthelake's picture
Westofthelake Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 5:47pm

Wow that was mental.
So much so I watched it again,
and snapped a couple of snips.







PS - really liked the music, whoever it was

Denyer's picture
Denyer's picture
Denyer Monday, 4 May 2020 at 10:31am

I remember watching that one on the live stream of Ritchie Vas copping the lip to the back and thought that he was definitely dead.

GOBS1979's picture
GOBS1979's picture
GOBS1979 Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 6:21pm

Ooohhhh My Faaaaaak!
Now that was thrilling just watching it .
Looking at those snips, this is the new take on "Doin Airs".
If you want to surf these waves then you have to be able to pull off these airs without killing yourself!
No Helmets!! Insane!!
I would don the helmet, neck brace. hockey face mask, cricket balls box, skateboard knee and shoulder Pads, Double inflatable vest, Webbed paddle gloves, and a wing suit for when I get shot out of the barrel! AND thats only for driving the jet ski!!

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 10:24pm

What? No mouth guard?

You hell-man.

(btw funny)

ps- cool screen grabs above Westy- captured it well.

Bnkref's picture
Bnkref's picture
Bnkref Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 7:37pm

That beating at 6:20 must be one of the worst of all time.

Rabbits68's picture
Rabbits68's picture
Rabbits68 Saturday, 2 May 2020 at 11:10pm

Epic clip TB. Amazing commitment from all those surfers.

Man v Ocean. Truly incredible how resilient the human body can be.

Halfscousehalfcockneyfullaussie's picture
Halfscousehalfcockneyfullaussie's picture
Halfscousehalfc... Sunday, 3 May 2020 at 8:02am

Fear not cape solander local, after watching that I’ve decided that I would never contemplate to surf there.....

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Sunday, 3 May 2020 at 8:21am

Has anyone died there?...........Cant believe some of those wipeouts,i was cringing just watching.......

innatube's picture
innatube's picture
innatube Monday, 4 May 2020 at 8:07am

Absolutely epic!

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Monday, 4 May 2020 at 10:16am

I can't recall the last time I watched a surf clip that had me shuddering so much.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 4 May 2020 at 10:34am

Backwash, yeah?

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Monday, 4 May 2020 at 10:54am

Did SN do a piece on that fellow? Didn't he get really messed up? Broken ribs, water in his lungs?

I seem to recall something about that.

Either way, pretty gnarly.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 4 May 2020 at 10:58am

Yeah, broke his ribs.

t-diddy's picture
t-diddy's picture
t-diddy Monday, 4 May 2020 at 3:50pm

that's just fukt! Does Tim always use a 'If you like Limp Bizkit...' playlist?

Remigogo's picture
Remigogo's picture
Remigogo Tuesday, 5 May 2020 at 1:44pm

You would be feeling a bit limp eating your biscuit after if you were one of that lot.

Well except if you're Mark Matthews of course.

surfstarved's picture
surfstarved's picture
surfstarved Monday, 4 May 2020 at 4:43pm

No longer Ours - I'm dubbing it Yours, or Theirs, or Anybody's-Other-Than-Mine.

Ben Harding's picture
Ben Harding's picture
Ben Harding Tuesday, 5 May 2020 at 1:13pm

haha, ken-oath!

dylza's picture
dylza's picture
dylza Monday, 4 May 2020 at 9:05pm

Stop f#cking up great surf footage with absolutely woeful music soundtrack selections. Either pick something bloody cool and a bit different or just play the original raw sound of IT Happening sheeeeeeze .... Mr Bonython - if you've read this far.

Johan Wohlleben's picture
Johan Wohlleben's picture
Johan Wohlleben Tuesday, 5 May 2020 at 10:00pm

Crazy, those guys are nuts and no fear-no way they’ll find the loose screws in Botany Bay anytime soon. Charging!

jfs's picture
jfs's picture
jfs Thursday, 7 May 2020 at 11:35am

Amazing courage and skill displayed. Any reports of injuries ? if not why not ? How are they spared from being lacerated on the reef or rocks as nearly all came to grief. How awesome would it to be there live ( watching ! )

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Thursday, 7 May 2020 at 4:22pm

At least one broken back, few broken limbs, many broken bones, and countless lacerations.

The worry isn't so much the proximity of the rock platform - as even when you're close it's hard to hit it becasue of the wash bouncing around - but impacts with the bottom from blown drops. It's shallow where the wave breaks, and close to dry about twenty feet closer in where a barely concealed rock shelf waits for any unlucky punter.

Gowest's picture
Gowest's picture
Gowest Thursday, 7 May 2020 at 3:34pm

Pure eeevil.... hardly a fun surf?!

tonks's picture
tonks's picture
tonks Thursday, 7 May 2020 at 4:36pm

True fucken legends!Absolutely epic footage.Reckon they might be a bit,no a lot sore afterwards!Adios Amigos.

batfink's picture
batfink's picture
batfink Sunday, 10 May 2020 at 11:37am

Surfing as punishment for crimes unknown. Hats off to anyone crazy enough, but you won’t see me challenging out there. Crazy shit.

Thegrowingtrend.com's picture
Thegrowingtrend.com's picture
Thegrowingtrend.com Monday, 11 May 2020 at 7:54am

My blow up paddle board would fit in to those monster barrels

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Monday, 11 May 2020 at 8:28am

Does the board bend to accommodate the curve of the wave if you don’t inflate it to maximum pressure ?

11ft inflatable SUP at 10 PSI into 6 foot Solander sounds like a Great Leap Forward for humanity.