South Straddie Super Session

By TransWorld SURF
Tue, Mar 9 2010 5:41 am | Comments

South Straddie Super Session

It’s a wave I’ve always wanted to surf. Peakier than Puerto Escondido, five times more punch than the Outer Banks, bigger and more spread out than Duranbah, and way easier to get set waves than at Pipeline—welcome to Stradbroke Island on the Gold Coast of Australia.

Leaving the small and blown out surf behind in Coolangatta, we caravanned up there from Coolangatta with the Gudauskas bros, Dylan Graves, and our mate Tony from Komune. A broken board in the car park was a good sign—there was definitely surf—yet also foreshadowed a future event, namely my week-old Dylan Longbottom 6’0” dying a vicious death at the hands of Straddie. A $400 closeout barrel if you were to put a price tag on it.

None of us in the caravan had surfed there before and at first sight, it was one of those, “Holy shit did you see that one!” moments followed up by a mad scramble to get out there. Although it was packed to the gills with Top 45’ers, local legends, aspiring groms, and a ton of dickdraggers, there were so many waves coming though that you could actually sit in a pack of pros and get sets. The Gudangs were typically frothing and ripping, while Jordy Smith and Bobby Martinez traded off big, long barrels. Local islander Bede Durbidge was also a standout, while Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds, and Taj Burrow dominated a peak further down the beach from us.

Aside from breaking my precious new stick, it was the best session I’ve ever had in three trips to Australia and one that won’t be forgotten soon, so good that even a barn Online Editor was getting shacked. Spear into the photos and start saving your pennies—South Stradbroke Island is one wave you have to surf before pulling into that big barrel in the sky.—Justin Cote

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