*note: click 'enlarge' on the photos opposite to see bigger versions*

I've known Riley's Dad Scott and his Uncle Heath since I was at school.

I first saw Riley surfing about 3 years ago, and took some shots of him out the front of his house. Not long after I noticed he was turning up at the local reefs and venturing out the local bombies with his dad. One of these bombies is 5km out to sea. Earlier this year Riley and eleven year old Wade Clemens took this place on! Eleven and thirteen, surfing 5km out to sea and BIG!

Last year Riley asked me if I'd take him down to Shipstern Bluff next time I went. Not long after, Marti Paradisis stayed at my house and I introduced Riley and Scott to Marti.

Since then, Riley has asked a hundred questions about the wave down there in Tassie and picked my brain about conditions and forecasts needed to get it on.

After numerous swells and missed opportunities, mainly due to my work or family commitments, we were sick of looking at footage and photos of what we'd missed.

But last Friday, I'd ummed and ahhed and second-guessed enough times that Scott just said "you think it's gonna be ON? OK, we're booked."

When ever this place looks good on the forecast, you still just don't know what exactly to expect. The one forecast could provide so many different outcomes, however I knew Riley was confident and well prepared.

3am Saturday and Riley, Scott and myself are heading down the F3 headed for the airport. After a quick breakfast, who do we see boarding at the gate? Riley's Billabong team mate and Tassie local Mikey Brennan.

After the quick two hour flight we get off the plane and straight into the hire car, and Mikey points us in the direction of the local Yamaha dealer to collect the freshly serviced Billabong Team Ski. We pumped the flat tyre, bought a rope and some flares, and headed off heading towards Port Arthur.

Once at the ramp Scott and myself try to get Riley and Mikey out of the car and the ski in the water ASAP as we needed to hit the road up to the walk in. This was a hell of a way to go compared to the ski ride, as we were walking in with boards, tripods, food and water, wetsuits and a bunch of camera gear.

After an hour of walking and jogging we finally saw the ocean and we're frothing hard. We walk down the last headland to see a few guys in the lineup. Suited up and out there, i paddle into the lineup to be greeted by my good mate Marti Paradisis, Tyler Holmer-Cross, Sandy Ryan and a few other locals who are frolicking around.

Iain Chalmers and James McKean had headed in with Mikey and Riley and were just sitting on the skis watching the action.

After about half an hour watching, Riley grabbed the rope and decided to grab one of the biggest waves of the morning to test the waters. With a good whip in from Mikey, Riley headed into his first Shipsterns wave and headed down the face with a bit of a stall and just faded and pulled up into the biggest pit of his life.

After picking a line most locals would have been stoked with, Riley was deep and flying but unfortunately got clamped on the end. With the lip crushing this 50kg kid it sent him to the bottom.

When Riley finally surfaced after his long hold down, he came up with a grin on his face and the look in his eye like this was gonna be a session to remember. The local boys out the back were hooting him and pumping him up. Riley, without even caring to much or maybe even thinking about it, just made history by being the youngest human to not only surf this wave but get a deep tube. And that was only the beginning.

He is such an amazing young bloke, he didn't ask for a camera crew, photographer or video guy. He respected the locals and always said thank you. Humble is a word i find is over used a bit, but it suits this kid to the ground. He rode the waves down Tassie last weekend as good as anyone I know could have, and he's just thirteen years old.

And there's one thing I know he wants to acknowledge out of those 2 days, and that's the support he got from the locals, the guys he didn't know before he left home Saturday morning. So to Mikey and Zeb, thanks for towing him in. And all the other boys, thanks for giving up some waves and stoking this kid out.

I RECKON HE STOKED US ALL OUT AS MUCH AS HE WAS, AND I HEARD A LOT OF THE BOYS SAY THAT! //JUGHEAD

Water shots by Jughead. Thanks to Scott Laing for the video screen grabs.