Watch: Tim Bonython // Fiji In September

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
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Earlier this month, in fact while the final five pros were surfing Lower Trestles, Tim Bonython parked up in the channel at Cloudbreak.

The only pro surfer in the water was Jamie O'Brien, and he only loosely fits that term. The rest were locals and holiday makers; hot surfers little known outside of their local beach but putting on a fantastic show in pumping double overhead lefts.

Comments

eel's picture
eel's picture
eel Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 12:36pm

Skip to 4:40 to get through the bullshit. Love Cloudbreak. As a goofy it's my favourite wave.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 12:40pm

dreamy

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 12:46pm

Reckon if they paddled out there for the Finals Day someone, somehow could claim it as an unfair playing field that disadvantages Surfer X?

DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet Monday, 19 Sep 2022 at 2:55pm

Maybe that clique of Santa Cruz surfers who reckoned they surfed better in 3mm booties? They might struggle

Sprout's picture
Sprout's picture
Sprout Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 12:46pm

Obviously JJF/Nate are sailing through Fiji at the moment, as seen in Jon's YT shorts and JOBs edit from the same swell. Surprised they weren't out there, look forward to their edits from wherever they end up. Fucking love Fiji.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 12:49pm

Beautiful, beautiful wave Cloudbreak. The second part was so gnarly but echoing free above, the first glassy sesh- dreamy.

Jono's picture
Jono's picture
Jono Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 12:52pm

That arvo glass off section in the second half of the vid is nuts. Don't see much footage of CB glassy at that time of day.

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 3:04pm

What a wave! Guessing it's a lot heavier than it looks (FR, eel?)

6'10 DS and 7'6 Spartan would be in my board bag.

Sprout's picture
Sprout's picture
Sprout Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 3:43pm

Open ocean energy / deep ocean energy / long period energy / wide sets / not breaking perfectly, makes it not a fun place to get caught inside at size. I'm fairly fit and I've been 1 wave away from giving up there, twice. Can't wait to go back!

Blingas's picture
Blingas's picture
Blingas Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 3:05pm

Dreamy 100%

FrazP's picture
FrazP's picture
FrazP Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 5:45pm

Best wave in the world?

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 8:32pm

Gotta be close

groundswell's picture
groundswell's picture
groundswell Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 5:54pm

Nah maybe most consistent high quality wave in the world but other waves such as the fickle skeleton bay are better when they occasionally break right.
Still cloudbreak including restaurants top ten,maybe top 5 world class waves for sure.

warddy's picture
warddy's picture
warddy Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 7:16pm

The only place in the world that’s amazing from 2-20 ft…
4-5 ft had me years ago …
Bruno Medina and Pupo were pups and out there schralping…
Same glass but quarter the crew …
Fiji is the shit !

manic- mat -rider's picture
manic- mat -rider's picture
manic- mat -rider Friday, 16 Sep 2022 at 8:59pm

No CT surfers out there . Would have been a perfect opportunity for those not at Trestles to improve their bigger waves skills.

mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207 Saturday, 17 Sep 2022 at 11:35am

Sick second half , thanks Tim.
Fiji looks to be doing a fair impression of an Ulu,s style kookfest of surfers these days (until it the swell came up anyhow ) , drop ins , chicks with dreadlocks ,instagen surfers, go pro heros....
JOB ,s been in a good paddock over covid

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Saturday, 17 Sep 2022 at 1:24pm

Chicks called Noah?

Needs more WA hard cunce

spencie's picture
spencie's picture
spencie Saturday, 17 Sep 2022 at 11:35am

A real perspective of the power out there. Beautifully filmed.

Bustard's picture
Bustard's picture
Bustard Sunday, 18 Sep 2022 at 5:05am

Ok brag time
Had the most amazing experience of surfing it about this size …….by my self
Around 15 years ago when the island still had control
Couldn’t believe it when I walked down to th boat in the morning and no one else was up.
Crazy beautiful wave … and I’m goofy

san Guine's picture
san Guine's picture
san Guine Sunday, 18 Sep 2022 at 3:08pm

Glorious wave. That first session was mesmeric.
MUST go there one day, even though it breaks the wrong direction : )
Bravo Tim, an epic wave captured in all it's splendour.

Chipper's picture
Chipper's picture
Chipper Monday, 19 Sep 2022 at 12:49pm

The wave has so many personalities depending on wind, tide and swell size...

The clip doesn't do it justice, it is a wave of significant consequence, 2-3 wave hold downs are normal....

What a wave!!!

icandig's picture
icandig's picture
icandig Monday, 19 Sep 2022 at 2:36pm

I went in 2013. Surfed it a few times, best was around 6ft and clean - occasionally a little bigger. Most scared I've ever been taking off. Scored a couple of keepers but was pretty tentative. I caught the boat out with a Brazzo braggadocio....that was until he broke his board, got washed in across the reef and had to paddle back across with the two halves. He got back to the boat in tears praying to his mummy.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Monday, 19 Sep 2022 at 2:46pm

Chipper, you can see the different moods in the clip. First half is more drawn out, super long ruler edged lines freighting down the reef but the last bit of the clip looked heavier, bowly and far from perfect. That session would have been scary.

lolo's picture
lolo's picture
lolo Monday, 19 Sep 2022 at 4:25pm

It definitely has different moods for sure. It can be a completely different wave on the first day on an 16-18 second period than it is on day 2 or 3 as the period drops. Throw in tides, swell direction and tradewinds and everything can change really quick. I've been going every year (outside of Covid) since it went public access and still have no clue out there somedays.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Monday, 19 Sep 2022 at 4:28pm

I could imagine, that's the allure of it though eh?! Have to get there in the near future.

skippywolfram's picture
skippywolfram's picture
skippywolfram Tuesday, 20 Sep 2022 at 5:38am

so much slo-mo

velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno Saturday, 24 Sep 2022 at 6:08pm

That was exceptional, thank you Tim! Boat drivers need a good weather eye!

And I liked the introduction to the island and the people bit too.