Biggest Barrel Of My Life!!!
June 26, 2009
Click below for the full sequence
I had been out for 6 hours before I got this wave. It had been really slow all day and I hadn’t had any good ones yet. Then this mountain came roaring out from the horizon I got tingles (goose bumps) all over as soon as I saw it. I looked up at Hippo (Ryan Hipwood) who was on the jet ski and he didn’t even smile he just said “this things huge.”
It actually wasn’t my turn when this wave came. It was Mitch Rawlin’s go. He’s the craziest lid rider i’ve ever surfed with. He’s ridden the biggest waves at this break I have ever seen. His partner started towing him in. They took a more straight on line into the wave coming from directly behind to avoid the bumps you hit if you come across from the left.
I didn’t really even think, I just yelled out to Hippo go go! I’ll go behind him! Hippo just took off. We were coming into the wave from left to right and Rawlin’s and his driver were coming straight in behind the wave. It put me on the inside and i thought I would just try and pull into the barrel behind Mitch and we’d both get barreled and make it out. Ive done this before a couple of times but on way smaller waves. Hippo was yelling out to them go go go!
Luckily for me, Mitch didn’t end up going. Afterwards he said that he wasn’t in a good position so he just let me go (owe you one!). The wave sucked so hard off the reef that I don’t think that we both could of ridden different lines without colliding. In this shot i’ve got the full wing span going, just trying not to get sucked up the face and into that lip above my head.
It was really hard to read the wave at this point. Once a wave gets over 1o – 12ft, you can’t really see the top of the wave in you peripheral vision. You have have to really turn your head and look up to be able to see what’s going to happen next. I was way too scared of falling to turn and look up at the top of the wave here. There was still so much water sucking off the reef. I just kept my eyes right in front of me and hoped the corner of the barrel wasn’t about to lip me in the head.
Luckily it didn’t! I think it was about here that I could here the boys screaming in the channel.
Big barrels feel like they are alive. They suck all the air inside. Thats what surfers mean when they say they felt the wave take a breath.
This is the moment that you just don’t want to end you feel like your surrounded by the whole ocean. All the hard work is done. The air has no where left to go and just gets spat out into the channel, taking you with it. This is the feeling that keeps coming back over and over and over again.
That all happened in about 10 or 15 sec!
nutz! bbal
that wave really is thick and chunky… puts all of us mere surfing mortals into perspective!
How did you not wipe out on that one???
That is purely scary. To read your comments as well is just great. Good luck with your pursuits.
Jason
thats epic! good work mark you crazy man!
nice shorey,marky mark.
but how were the big ones breaking out the back that day? huh? …yeah yeah;sore back,didn’t have right board etc. blah blah…whatever buddy
next time it’s big i’m calling a real mountaineer,like fully loaded guy on tv
so take you,your waveski and your gay cowboys and giddy up back to bruno country
man,if there’s one thing i cant stand it’s gutless nevergunnaonedays updating their twitter profiles
see you at neilson park next time its huge…dude.
wholllllllllly firetruck. that is art, seriously fuct up water…i cant speak other to say you lucky and skilful SOB. GREAT SHIT!!! Respect!!!!! Ken surfin, Typhoon breaks Koichi Japan.
I’m a regional radio announcer who is lucky enough to live right on the beach. It’s 6.54am … I’m in the middle of my brekky shift, just finished doing a phone cross with the local Coastal Patrol (no waves for when I knock off – again) … and then I see this awesome picture in the daily newspaper. It points me to your website and … wham bam – thank you mam! Talk about a wake-up call. How hard must your heart be pumping? And what do you do for a rush after that?!?
I guess you do everything possible to put yourself in that situation again. Good luck – you might need it!
Anthony Zanos
Breakfast Radio Announcer
2RE
(Mid-North Coast, NSW, Australia)
You’ve nailed it, congrats.
Awsome man, just awsome!! youre the man
man alive – how amazing is that
how i wish
thanks for the ride and the photos – just hope there is a video
made my day
andrew
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!!!!!!!!
Nine Network Australia here.
So, have you got video?
Let us know!
As one who stated surfing 50yrs ago in South Australia and only had 5-6 foot waves to ride on local beaches, a ride like the one you have just completed is mind boggling. Congratulations and well done.
True Champion, yes Marky!
Nice 1. You dudes have huge King Kong balls. All the best.
Ya shoulda been here yesterday!
That is literally one of the coolest things that I have seen in my life. Are they both up around the ear lobes
Not even 30 years ago in my 20’s would I have tackled a monster like that, but good on ya!
Grommet: Man, it jacks up. You drop down into the pit. lt’s 30 feet straight down…..and your balls, man, your balls are about this big. And the whole thing’s fuckin’ roaring. Pushing you forward, like you’re on a freight train or something.
Roach: and if you lose it, the fish’ll be picking you out ofthe coral.
Tyler: Big-wave riding’s for macho assholes with a death wish.
Roach: No, it’s not. lt’s the ultimate rush. There’s nothing that comes close to it. Not even sex.
Get off the Shoulder Chalk…
Epic bro – Just be careful going through customs at LAX, those nads of yours will set off the metal detectors FOR SURE.
Sitting in an office with no windows here in Sydney and this just made my day. Incredible the difference your comments made!!!
Thats awesome! I,m not a surfer but when I saw the photo in the paper I had to check it out online and read your comments.
looks like grandmother nature at her grandest
hey wow thats amazing! I’m a surfer myself and would have been scared to bits! I’m not the big wave surfer. Congrats on getting up your courage!
Emma
You fucking nutta
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OMG.
Crazy Mark!! The question is how far can the bar be raised!!!!!!!!
Heavy!!
faark!
your a fucken nutter.unbelievable.I would rather take my chances with the sharks.!!!!!!
crazy! wish i could have seen it live
nice
mate you are mad got balls of steal well done stay afe
Ouch… thats nuts. Friggin Nuts. Friggin nuts.
man thats crazy!
very nice
fully sik
you must have balls the size of watermelons
thanks for sharing that … amazing to read the comments with the pictures. another world!
supercalafragilisticexpialodocious
Never handled a surfboard in my life, but I must say that you personify living life to the fullest. Best of luck in all your future endeavours!!!
man! im from argentina, and i ve to say:
That you did, is love, obviously. but definitely, you’ve goy a big balls!!!
congratulations!
greetings
Oe broder tu si que tienes bolas weon.
Just Perfect!…
great sequence
.
GRANDE PAPÀ..!!! DEBE SER GENIAL ESA EXPERIENCIA. MAS GRANDE QUE LA DE SENTIR UNA PIJA EN EL ORTO..!! FELICIDADES.
Buenazo bro! mucho huevo y adrenalina para surfear esa olita!!! Te la ganaste!!!
Saludos Galera!
Wow man those Photos aré amazing you must have really big balls. Congrats… Really unbelivable
big, men
Dude! Congratulations on winnning that one.
WOW!! you are crazy mark!
I love you
whooo hooo
Have not surfed for years but still get a great tingle watching those that do.
Mind blowing… well done and Cheers.
How big was the wave ?
es una olita de mierda
I have just finished reading “Tim Winton”s” book “BREATH”.He talks about a giant wave that breaks over a reef a mile off the West Australian Coast.I imangin this is the sort of wave he talks about.You have brought the book alive with these photos,Well done.
Great Photos
the slow cooked food is really working!!!!!!
well done.
soooooooooooooo proud of you.
xxanna
I have the craziest boyfriend in the world! So proud of you baby!
Come home soon
Miss you
Lots of love from your number one fan!!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Marvelous Mark!!
Ok, now that wave is seriosly epic. Mark you are the new big wave legend, move over RCJ!!!
Simply amazing. Comments were fantastic. I hope for the sake of surfing you stay alive and get paid shitloads.You are a legend and a nutcase. Be safe.
Amazing pics bro! Hope I had the guts to do that some day
.
Grtz from Peru
S
Big balls dood…. Awesome!!
i must say you have guts, but the rewards you must are out of this world. iam 65 been surfing a long time traveled a lot and i take my hat off too you guys your in a class of your own at the top….
Was the one behind it bigger
FYI you’ve made the national newspapers in Peru
http://www.elcomercio.com.pe/noticia/307682/surfista-australiano-sale-ileso-ola-perfecta
M&M ladies and gentleman your a genius this one makes your oniel poster look like a shorey I saw a single shot on rossy’s laptop in indo but the sequence is awesome takes talent to look that relaxed in a life or death situation much respect
King
nice photo retouch work. it’s amazing what one ca do with photoshop isn’t it.
Man eso es inspiración..
Dude that is the sikest most knarley ride I HAVE ever seen. Man KUHDOS to you. Love the sequence and comments. Glad you made it!
You made me feel I was in there with you for someone that films surfing and doesn’t surf thank you. your photo’s and comments was awsome. I’d love to film big waves like that but from the shore hahahaha cheers
Pretty amazing but….like we used to say in the old days: “You should have seen it yesterday”.
FAKE.
Film Prints or it didn’t happen.
Without video, looks photoshoped to me.
popurls.com // popular today…
story has entered the popular today section on popurls.com…
Eres el puto amo chaval, ni en liencres encontrarás una ola de esas. Apa esos cojones
Iv seen bigger but still thats a really beautiful wave!
Bra boy hellman ! Mark you’re a deadset leg-end !!!
Well done son ! Good description too. Congrats all round.
I’ve never read or seen anything that made me wish I was a surfer so much as this.
No…not even “Point Break”.
Photoshop
Wow, that is like totally INSANE!
RT
http://www.anonymize.tk
Fantastic ride, awesome shots. But no love for your photographer in the story?
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Awesome ride. That wave was THICK. I feel like I could have gone fishing in that wave as you were riding because I know there was some sea life in there.
I always wanted to Surf waves like that but im from the midwest. I usually body board the waves in lake michigan with my brother Milo. He’s actually my dog, but I call him my brother because we are really close. He’s a Great Dane who loves the water. We plan on going to Hawaii some day so surf North Shore but for now we just practice on the waves in Lake Michigan. I can really buts off some good 1-2 second rides sometimes. The feeling is intense although I never quite feel the wave take a breath.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Milo and I will show you some big lake wave action if you ever come to Chicago.
Remember the undertoe at the beach? When you couldn’t escape it’s grasp and death was a near miss…. Crazy
Save your life with an
Electronic Cigarette
Awesome! very nice description too.
I agree to some love for the photog too.
[...] Hipwood) who was on the jet ski and he didnt even smile he just said this things huge.Source:http://chasingchalk.com/2009/06/26/biggest-barrel-of-my-life/ Posted by Andy B at [...]
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For all you non believers who think its photo shopped why dont you check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I9cX74mcv4 or this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkKiys6__Zw&feature=PlayList&p=265533F6C5140C7E&index=9&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL or this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBi2i_ZKEZ8&feature=PlayList&p=D5724636204BB8A4&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=20
love your work mate wish i could do it!!
neil
PHOTOSHOPED
why is there only blue in certain sections of the pic’s, please put full color photo’s or video and maybe we will believe it, until then don’t believe you………. looks Photoshoped
Smash it up Marky..
Yeeewwwww!
Yeah bruz,
Got that chalk dude coming.
That’s one meaty pit.
owwwwaaaahhhhhh!!!!!
All you people who think this is photo shopped – GET A LIFE!! You are all jealous as you can’t catch a wave like that. Grow up and stop hanging shit on other people’s highs!!!
have a go Mark, you missed the floater section at the start and where was the big roundhouse cutty at the end?? na mate looked scary
Absolutely amazing and awesome!The surf and the sea is freedom…is everything. Off I go to watch Morning of the Earth again.Congratulations !
GET OFF THE SHOULDER…
sick… so frickin sick it makes me sick. mrky mark you really do rule this shite
bucken hell man!!!!! that rocked. an achievement of a lifetime for sure, well done xoxo
ps: snaps to the photographer – amazing shots
wow man this is really serious. Some of the most amazing pics I’ve seen. You guys are true Pros.
Thats really cool you can do that, i used to skateboard, but quit after spraining my ankle one too many times, i pretty much live in the dead center of the country so I’ve never even seen the ocean, nevermind tried surfing.
As a Newbie, I am always searching online for articles that can help me get further ahead. Thanks a million!