Big Cloudbreak - photos & videos

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

Yesterday began in an ominous way at Cloudbreak. Aaron Gold went down on the first wave ridden, and as you've no doubt heard by now, he was found unconcious by ski driver Uri Kurop. Kurop transferred Gold's limp body to a waiting boat where Mark Healey began resuscitation on him. Gold was revived and gave a good luck shaka to Instagram followers - as you do - before going to hospital for a check up.

The incident cast a pall over the assembled big wave surfers who'd converged on Cloudbreak hoping for a re-enactment of the 2012 'Volcom swell' when the Fiji Pro was called off and the best big wave session in history went down in front of the webcast cameras.

Within an hour of Gold's incident surfers began to paddle back out with three skis running safety, one being manned by Greg Long. Unfortunately the wind didn't co-operate, blowing with a touch too much south and sending chandeliers down the hall. Yet still some mighty waves were ridden.

Tim Bonython, shooting for his upcoming doco, The Big Wave Project, captured every ride. Check out the small selection below. Underneath them are a few vids from Cloudbreak and Restaurants, and stay tuned 'cos there's more to come.

Shaun Lopez
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Mike Pietsch
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Dane Gudauskas
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Coconut Willie
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Mike Pietsch
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Damien Hobgood

Dane Gudauskas

Mark Healey

Francisco Porcella

Mike Pietsch

Plus video of Restaurants and Cloudbreak. Restaurants for the first minute, Cloudbreak thereafter.

Comments

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 12:37pm

Whoa hard work with those conditions ...who is the poor bastard in he lip behind coconut willie

fitzroy-21's picture
fitzroy-21's picture
fitzroy-21 Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 2:09pm

Why has WSL got the little moniker in the corner of the vids? WTF has the WSL got to do with this? Did they sanction and/or sponsor the run and the surfers and photographers?? Or are they just getting their grubby little mits into everything surfing?

eel's picture
eel's picture
eel Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 2:11pm

WSL probably paid videographers/ photographers to go over and shoot the swell. Try to generate some interest / goodwill after the debacle of a comp that was held in Rio.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 2:19pm

Partly to do with the last line, but probably more so to drive up their traffic numbers to impress potential sponsors.

fitzroy-21's picture
fitzroy-21's picture
fitzroy-21 Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 2:10pm

Forgetting the little rant above, great to see the whole paddle, takeoff and ride footage.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 2:41pm

It seems like this swell was a bit smaller and not as heavy as the last big day during the fiji pro??????..anyone know???? or a slightly different angle but looking at the white water behind these guys is very frightening......

mick-free's picture
mick-free's picture
mick-free Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 2:54pm

Simba from memory the other swell was a much more polar low, with bigger wave periods. This low did most of its work off NZ. Maybe someone can pull out the maps.

memlasurf's picture
memlasurf's picture
memlasurf Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 3:16pm

Simba those were my thoughts as well. That white water was horrific.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 3:27pm

Mick is right, the 2012 swell developed deep in the Southern Ocean (see first image), it also got turbocharged when a Tasman Low formed during its progress toward Fiji (second image).

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t-diddy's picture
t-diddy's picture
t-diddy Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 3:31pm

wow that last video is fully mediocre

mick-free's picture
mick-free's picture
mick-free Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 3:48pm

Simba and therein is the big secret to Cloudbreak with periods. There were no washthroughs in the 'volcom' swell. Just clean wave after wave.

I am really interested in where on the reef Aaron Gold was for him to get a 2 wave hold down. For him to survive his 80 footer without pulling his floatation and then drown at Cloudbreak makes for a lot of interest. I am thinking maybe he was out on ledge and got a second wave washthrough on the head. Maybe Camel can find out from Jamie Mitchell. I have never surfed proper ledge but usually you get just washed down the reef if you get nailedIts probablty different with 15-20 foot 3rd reef and somehow you get pinned at the top of the reef and you cant get rolled.

southey's picture
southey's picture
southey Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 9:56pm

I think the 2012 ? swell was helped by the strong local N NNE wind which blew that morning . It straightened out the swell , and pretty much removed any sort of cross shore SE trade contamination in the swell . So when it backed off it was as clean as you'll ever get it . With still a lighter Nth /NE breeze blowing into the barrel it held up the waves and made them hit the reef harder .
As for the period , I'm not going there .

Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython Wednesday, 25 May 2016 at 10:28am

Ok, I was there although our boat was too far down the reef for me to see or shoot that wave/moment. As far as i noticed Aaron was way up the top of the CB reef kind past the ledge. From what i understand he paddled a 10/15 foot bomb. At that time I thought from what I could see that it was really only 6 to 10ft max but the word on our boat was that, that wave was around 15 ft. Aaron paddled late & got pitched with a couple of the crew seeing from our distance. 5 minutes went down and then I started to notice a bit of panic going on. I heard a ski had gone down but I think it was Uri Kurop driving around on a ski who somehow noticed what was happening and retrieved Aaron and brought him back to the other Tavarua boat that was on the inside past the CB tower. It was a blessing that you had some of the best most reliable big wave surfers like Hippo, Greg Long & Mark Healey who took total control and brought him back to life.
I dare say it, that without them there, it could have been a totally different story.

mick-free's picture
mick-free's picture
mick-free Wednesday, 25 May 2016 at 7:40pm
Tim Bonython wrote:

Ok, I was there although our boat was too far down the reef for me to see or shoot that wave/moment. As far as i noticed Aaron was way up the top of the CB reef kind past the ledge. From what i understand he paddled a 10/15 foot bomb. At that time I thought from what I could see that it was really only 6 to 10ft max but the word on our boat was that, that wave was around 15 ft. Aaron paddled late & got pitched with a couple of the crew seeing from our distance. 5 minutes went down and then I started to notice a bit of panic going on. I heard a ski had gone down but I think it was Uri Kurop driving around on a ski who somehow noticed what was happening and retrieved Aaron and brought him back to the other Tavarua boat that was on the inside past the CB tower. It was a blessing that you had some of the best most reliable big wave surfers like Hippo, Greg Long & Mark Healey who took total control and brought him back to life.
I dare say it, that without them there, it could have been a totally different story.

Thanks Tim for putting effort in to give us such good knowledge. You have scored 3 times this month. Lord! Cheers for sending in photos too. Stu (Fiji) said he was knocked unconscious. Was a high tide in morning..if he is way up the ledge I wonder if you get stuck in a eddy like current, and you can't break out. Sounds hectic and great effort to get him.

Thats pretty rare that NE wind in May eh Southey. Someone said direction was a little off too..made it harder

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 4:20pm

Thanks Mick,fucking scarey having a two wave hold down in normal surf let alone big cloudbreak....wonder if he was wearing a vest?

lost's picture
lost's picture
lost Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 4:36pm

Would be good to get hold or Uri Kurop and hear his story. The guys a legend.

Not sure how to post it here but his Facebook profile shot is a classic - full navy black ops diving outfit. Check it out. I'll post it here if someone tells me how !

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 5:08pm

Imagine regaining conciousness and seeing this!

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lost's picture
lost's picture
lost Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 5:14pm

LOL yep that's the photo !

actually he's a great guy. family man, cute kids and helps heaps of the local grommets get out into the waves.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 4:53pm

maybe knocked unconscious?

mick-free's picture
mick-free's picture
mick-free Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 5:41pm

yeah Steve, that's what I'm hearing.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 9:01pm

From Kellys instagram...Thoughts go out to @therealaarongold, the gnarliest charger I know, for pulling thru his (near?) drowning yesterday. And huge props to #MarkHealey, @gerglong, @ryanhipwood, @ukfiji and everyone involved in saving Aaron's life. Uri...you're a legend and hero for somehow jumping off the ski, pulling Aaron up by his leash and getting him out of the impact zone between waves all by yourself! Unbelievable. Good to know everyone is keeping an eye on each other and skilled enough to get it done when the shit hits the fan! Proud and scary day to watch from afar.

southey's picture
southey's picture
southey Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 9:56pm

The red bull site said a three wave hold down ?!?

Bob's 2 Bob's's picture
Bob's 2 Bob's's picture
Bob's 2 Bob's Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at 11:27pm

Hey Free, did you go to Fiji for this swell?

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Wednesday, 1 Jun 2016 at 11:59am

Aaron Gold tells his story on Magic Seaweed.

mick-free's picture
mick-free's picture
mick-free Wednesday, 1 Jun 2016 at 12:41pm

Thanks for the post. Double Wave hold down the culprit.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Monday, 7 Aug 2017 at 1:31pm

ocean _artwork insta
Jeezus Kohl Christensen paddling a monster !