For most surfers a 10 second hold down can feel like an eternity. A 38 second one would be incomprehensible. Fortunately it was big wave charger Anthony Walsh who was battling to stay afloat and he is no stranger to heavy water. Walshy had linked up with weird wave connoisseur Dylan Graves for a strike mission to the Kimberely Region in northern WA. The Kimberley is known for large swaths of wilderness defined by rugged ranges, dramatic gorges, semi-arid savanna and a largely isolated coastline. It also has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world.
After seeing videos online of the various surges of water in the area, Dylan had a hunch one of them was rideable. What they found was sketchy and definitely questionable. The zone is known as ‘boat killer’, according to Jamie Hornblow, a local who helped them out and you can see why. While the wave wasn’t huge, it moved with a surge and force that would terrify even the most experienced watermen.
On Walshy’s second wave he falls off the back and is held under by the rapids and current that sit behind each wave. Despite being held under for 38 seconds and having to climb his leash to get to the surface, he shakes it off and goes back for more.
“It was like I was surfing a crappy Huntington Wave to get down it, and then Teahupo’o was behind me,” he said.
To see more of the most terrifying wave Dylan has surfed, hit the link above.
