Last week we were scheduled to record a podcast with big-wave surfing\u2019s most iconic father-daughter duo, Summa and Dylan Longbottom. Unfortunately, Summa was sick on the day, and I was already pulling up at Dylan\u2019s shaping bay in Taren Point, Sydney, when Dylan messaged me about his daughter\u2019s health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite having to delay the podcast, Dylan was happy to spend some time talking about the recent South Oz slab session, which left him with four broken ribs and a punctured lung. Below is our chat, which makes a strong case that the 49-year-old may be the grittiest person in surfing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tracks: So you guys have been on this slab tour this year. It’s been pretty mental to watch. Were you charging the whole way up to the wipe-out in South Oz or was it kind of on and off?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dylan: No, charging the whole time. So basically, that was our plan again for this year. We do it every year anyway. But my team rider Lucas Chumbo was supposed to be with me as well but he couldn’t make it; he’s never been to Australia. So he’s frothing to come with his shaper living in Australia, and to surf all our slabs, but he had to pull out last minute. They’re having their second child. So he’s pushed it back to next year, which is going to be super exciting, especially after what we did this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I had my other really good friend and team rider, Jerome Sahyoun, from Morocco. He’s a crazy slab chaser too. So it was him, myself and Summa over the last three months. And Jerome’s planted himself here in Cronulla. And we’re just chasing swells. We go to Victoria come back, go to Tasmania to Western Australia. Then did the big tow swell in Teahupo\u2019o, came back to Oz, then went to Indo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n