Swellnet Sessions

Swellnet Sessions

Volcom Pipe Pro: Day 1

volcom/bielmann

Fri 1 February 12:00am

Today marked day five of the 2013 Volcom Pipe Pro waiting period and after four straight "lei days," mother nature finally cooperated. The contest was called on in temperamental yet fun conditions with waves ranging from head high to more than double-overhead.

Swellnet Sessions

Volcom Pipe Pro: Day 1

volcom/bielmann

Fri 1 February 12:00am

Today marked day five of the 2013 Volcom Pipe Pro waiting period and after four straight "lei days," mother nature finally cooperated. The contest was called on in temperamental yet fun conditions with waves ranging from head high to more than double-overhead.

Swellnet Sessions

South Coast

Craig Brokensha

Thu 31 January 12:00am

It was never going to be a swell that lit up the whole coast. That was the early consensus on Tuesday's swell on the East Coast; the weather was too dynamic, the wind was going to play havoc. But for those who put the effort in there were the odd pockets of power and perfection.

Swellnet forecaster, Craig Brokensha, traversed the NSW South Coast and found a few waves and very few people.

All photos by Craig.

Swellnet Sessions

South Coast

Craig Brokensha

Thu 31 January 12:00am

It was never going to be a swell that lit up the whole coast. That was the early consensus on Tuesday's swell on the East Coast; the weather was too dynamic, the wind was going to play havoc. But for those who put the effort in there were the odd pockets of power and perfection.

Swellnet forecaster, Craig Brokensha, traversed the NSW South Coast and found a few waves and very few people.

All photos by Craig.

Swellnet Sessions

Backside at Shark Island

Grant Trouville

Wed 30 January 12:00am

"I think I was lucky to get under the lip of that one," said Darryl 'Boogs' Vandepolder of this Shark Island gaper.

As he scratched backside off the bottom the lip came down like a guillotine, but a swift rail transition and experienced positioning put him in the eye of the pit. Right about now most backsiders would be reaching for their rail but Boogs stood steadfast. "I go hands free in most big ones at the Island," he said later, "it lets you stomp on the inside fins when you need speed and stability in the barrel."

Swellnet Sessions

Backside at Shark Island

Grant Trouville

Wed 30 January 12:00am

"I think I was lucky to get under the lip of that one," said Darryl 'Boogs' Vandepolder of this Shark Island gaper.

As he scratched backside off the bottom the lip came down like a guillotine, but a swift rail transition and experienced positioning put him in the eye of the pit. Right about now most backsiders would be reaching for their rail but Boogs stood steadfast. "I go hands free in most big ones at the Island," he said later, "it lets you stomp on the inside fins when you need speed and stability in the barrel."

Swellnet Sessions

Volcom Pipe Pro: Looking back, looking forward

volcom/bielmann

Wed 30 January 12:00am

The waves at Pipe yesterday were a raw 12 foot plus but the organisers of the Volcom Pipe Pro called another Lei Day. They can afford to as they're sitting atop a mighty fine forecast. So while we wait for the next delivery let's take a look at the highlights from the 2012 Volcom Pipe Pro, another comp that got epic waves and was won by man-of-the-moment, John John Florence.

Swellnet Sessions

Volcom Pipe Pro: Looking back, looking forward

volcom/bielmann

Wed 30 January 12:00am

The waves at Pipe yesterday were a raw 12 foot plus but the organisers of the Volcom Pipe Pro called another Lei Day. They can afford to as they're sitting atop a mighty fine forecast. So while we wait for the next delivery let's take a look at the highlights from the 2012 Volcom Pipe Pro, another comp that got epic waves and was won by man-of-the-moment, John John Florence.

Swellnet Sessions

Recent Pipeline

Fri 25 January 12:00am

The Hawaiian pro season has been and gone, Christmas has passed, and the calendar has rolled over to 2013, and yet still Pipe is breaking. So while most of the pros have left town, and the bulk of the camerman with them, ol' Addi Roberts is putting in the time on the sand and capturing the locals.

This batch was all taken during the last week. The first three shots are Flynn Novak, John John and Mark Healey.

Swellnet Sessions

Recent Pipeline

Fri 25 January 12:00am

The Hawaiian pro season has been and gone, Christmas has passed, and the calendar has rolled over to 2013, and yet still Pipe is breaking. So while most of the pros have left town, and the bulk of the camerman with them, ol' Addi Roberts is putting in the time on the sand and capturing the locals.

This batch was all taken during the last week. The first three shots are Flynn Novak, John John and Mark Healey.

Swellnet Sessions

First Strike

Thu 24 January 12:00am

Two weeks ago a deep red smudge appeared on forecast charts of the Western Pacific. A low spinning off the Kamchatka Peninsula was set to rapidly deepen and send lines of swell to every exposed coastline from Papua New Guinea to the US mainland. The Eddie Aikau Invitational was put on alert, the Red Bull Jaws event too. Hawaiian big wave surfers were watching the storm intently, as were mainland counterparts and the organisers of the Nelscott Reef Big Wave Challenge and the Mavericks Invitational. Everyone was buzzing on the arrival of the swell.

Swellnet Sessions

First Strike

Thu 24 January 12:00am

Two weeks ago a deep red smudge appeared on forecast charts of the Western Pacific. A low spinning off the Kamchatka Peninsula was set to rapidly deepen and send lines of swell to every exposed coastline from Papua New Guinea to the US mainland. The Eddie Aikau Invitational was put on alert, the Red Bull Jaws event too. Hawaiian big wave surfers were watching the storm intently, as were mainland counterparts and the organisers of the Nelscott Reef Big Wave Challenge and the Mavericks Invitational. Everyone was buzzing on the arrival of the swell.

Swellnet Sessions

Stomping Ground

Tue 22 January 12:00am

You may recognise John Barton's name, he's the photographer whose credit appears under the Pitstop Hill Mentawai photos we run throughout the winter. For eight months of the year John wears nought but boardshorts and his job is to capture the punters getting pitted. Something he's very bloody good at.

Holidays mean returning home to West Oz, and, if there's swell, shooting the old stomping grounds.

These photos were taken at one such place earlier this month.

Swellnet Sessions

Stomping Ground

Tue 22 January 12:00am

You may recognise John Barton's name, he's the photographer whose credit appears under the Pitstop Hill Mentawai photos we run throughout the winter. For eight months of the year John wears nought but boardshorts and his job is to capture the punters getting pitted. Something he's very bloody good at.

Holidays mean returning home to West Oz, and, if there's swell, shooting the old stomping grounds.

These photos were taken at one such place earlier this month.

Swellnet Sessions

The Forgotten State

Fri 18 January 12:00am

It's mid-January, which makes it the middle of summer and the time of year when surfers think of boardshorts and warm weather. And that means Victoria is well off the surfer's radar.

It's not the time when outsiders travel to the southern state, though that's not to say there aren't any waves. They may be harder to find, and even the locals have to hit the highway, but here in the middle of summer there are waves in Vicco.

James Sinclair (the goofy) and co. get busy on a clean country beachbreak. Photos by Steve Arklay.

Swellnet Sessions

The Forgotten State

Fri 18 January 12:00am

It's mid-January, which makes it the middle of summer and the time of year when surfers think of boardshorts and warm weather. And that means Victoria is well off the surfer's radar.

It's not the time when outsiders travel to the southern state, though that's not to say there aren't any waves. They may be harder to find, and even the locals have to hit the highway, but here in the middle of summer there are waves in Vicco.

James Sinclair (the goofy) and co. get busy on a clean country beachbreak. Photos by Steve Arklay.

Swellnet Sessions

Remote South Oz

Craig Brokensha

Tue 15 January 12:00am

The Swellnet team recently took a trip west of Adelaide, in part to celebrate the new Daly Head National Surfing Reserve (keep an eye out for a coming article) and in part to get a few waves. Here are a few photos taken on the road.

All photos Craig Brokensha.

Swellnet Sessions

Remote South Oz

Craig Brokensha

Tue 15 January 12:00am

The Swellnet team recently took a trip west of Adelaide, in part to celebrate the new Daly Head National Surfing Reserve (keep an eye out for a coming article) and in part to get a few waves. Here are a few photos taken on the road.

All photos Craig Brokensha.

Swellnet Sessions

P-Pass: December Report

Mon 14 January 12:00am

December was been a good month here in Pohnpei. Looking back through my files I see that the first three weeks of the month had waves every day – ranging from excellent to average with very few surfers on the island. Then there was a week of not much surf but a whole lot of fish before the swell kicked in again to see out 2012 with an orgy of tube riding. Good times!

Report and Photos by Richard Kotch / World Surfaris.

Swellnet Sessions

P-Pass: December Report

Mon 14 January 12:00am

December was been a good month here in Pohnpei. Looking back through my files I see that the first three weeks of the month had waves every day – ranging from excellent to average with very few surfers on the island. Then there was a week of not much surf but a whole lot of fish before the swell kicked in again to see out 2012 with an orgy of tube riding. Good times!

Report and Photos by Richard Kotch / World Surfaris.

Swellnet Sessions

Smoking Cold

Wed 9 January 12:00am

As his home state of Victoria bakes in a heatwave Skeeta Derham suits up in a 5/4 steamer to hit the Spanish winter. Recent big swells have lit up a few open ocean bombies that Skeeta has been launching into on his 9'10" Mick Pierce-shaped gun. They've also swept down the bank at Mundaka, where Skeeta is shown in this sequence stalling into a beautiful grab free backside cavern.

Photos by Ale Rodriguez.

Swellnet Sessions

Smoking Cold

Wed 9 January 12:00am

As his home state of Victoria bakes in a heatwave Skeeta Derham suits up in a 5/4 steamer to hit the Spanish winter. Recent big swells have lit up a few open ocean bombies that Skeeta has been launching into on his 9'10" Mick Pierce-shaped gun. They've also swept down the bank at Mundaka, where Skeeta is shown in this sequence stalling into a beautiful grab free backside cavern.

Photos by Ale Rodriguez.

Swellnet Sessions

Z to the A

Tue 8 January 12:00am

While the crowds flocked to the Sunny Coast points Ziggy Alberts saw in the New Year with a solo session on a beachie not far from home.

All photos Jack Dekort.

Swellnet Sessions

Z to the A

Tue 8 January 12:00am

While the crowds flocked to the Sunny Coast points Ziggy Alberts saw in the New Year with a solo session on a beachie not far from home.

All photos Jack Dekort.