Making the Call! Entry 2 The Boss

Saturday saw a new swell with a wind swing to the east. The ocean was still a little unsettled so I thought it might be a good time to go catch up with friends. My Daughter and I went to my mates house only to find him psyching himself up with surf DVD's. Whats up? He was stoking and preparing for a Solid 6 foot surf at ********. I was intrigued and worried for him at the same time. The place has so much energy and some of it is Tapu shit. We waited for the tide and then went down for mid incoming, disappointment was our reward. The surf was big and shutting down with too much water in the basin. We headed to Piha and found high tide goodies on the bar. We both new the morning was going to be epic.

The Dawn broke and I was straight down to the deck watching the lines march in on a light offshore breeze. I grabbed the phone and started the text messaging, "what time are we hitting it?". I have an Hour window to shoot photos. The call was 9 but after a great coffee it was more like 9:30. I took off to our secret location and ran to the top of the hill with my Camera gear. Justin Souter and his friend were sitting there watching the peak. I got there holding back my starvation for breath after running up the hill in my puffer jacket. I gave them a quick 'Howzit' and looked up to see a guy stalling for a 5 foot pit that was freight training from around the rocks through to the beach. They hooted and I screamed, all I could here besides my heart trying to stay in beat was, it's F****** firing.



I got to the end of the rocks and put my sharpshooter together, the first set rolled through and then I realized it was bigger than I thought and we were all going to be in for some action. The pair from the hill stroked straight out and into a set. One guy who had been out all morning took off, it was Tui, a regular in these waters. He bottom turned and it was on, straight down the line, foot to the floor. Justin took off next and he sized up the wave by fading and then drawing a long bottom turn before putting his foot down and charging the wall. My mates all hit the water and paddled straight up the guts only to get a set on the head and that took them out for about 30 minutes. Finally the boys made their way to the rip and then to the channel. They sat in the channel and let the current take them out, it was a well deserved breather.

My time was up and only 2 of them had caught a wave. One of the guys had been out earlier and was on his way in when I turned up with the camera. He was unfamiliar with the spot and had scared himself and was heading back to the carpark when the others turned him around and helped him back out the back. He had been out for about an hour when a set came through he wanted to catch. he stroked into position and started to paddle towards the beach. The wave jacked and he had a split second to either go or pullout. He pulled out but not quick enough. I took a shot of him meandering his bailout. He mad it through, I could see him on top of the wave and then bam! He was sucked over and held down for a good while. the next I saw of him he was giving me the finger from the channel as I laughed my a*** off.