The Billabong XXL big wave surfing challenge

Article By: ED MACHADO - For the North County Times
Photo created by: Jason Kozlik-WBsurfing

The much-anticipated swell that struck the West Coast a week ago drew a crowd of over 100 surfers, photographers, support personnel, and casual observers to the Cortes Bank, an open-ocean seamount located about 100 miles west of San Diego.

The crowd came for the Billabong Odyssey, the challenge to determine which surfer will ride the largest wave anywhere in the world during the December-March waiting period. Cortes Bank produced the winner in 2001 when Southern Californian Mike Parsons was towed into a monster 66-footer by teammate Brad Gerlach.

Parsons and Gerlach arrived by helicopter at dawn Tuesday from the coast of California. Their support vessel, which left the day before on an overnight journey, was waiting near the lineup for their arrival.

Joining Parsons and Gerlach in the helicopter were Hawaiian big-wave pros Shane Dorian and Noah Johnson and Billabong Odyssey emergency physician Dr. David Oates.

Odyssey veterans Flea Virostko and Barney Barron, both of Santa Cruz, came by boat to join the search for the elusive 100-foot wave that many experts predict will eventually be ridden at Cortes Bank.

The three previous expeditions to this legendary spot were attended by a small handful of experienced surfers and well-coordinated support teams.

The veteran big-wave chargers were slightly in shock when they saw what one Odyssey director described as "a complete circus." For the first time, charter companies from ports between Santa Barbara and San Diego brought paying customers unattached to the Odyssey to watch the action or try their luck at the break.

Wave heights averaged between 20 and 30 feet, with the larger sets approaching 45 feet. In addition, the sea surface was very smooth. Acceptable water conditions are one of the most difficult components to find at a spot with wind in the 20-knot range for 350 days of the year.

Photographer Rob Brown, who has documented all four Cortes expeditions, was taken aback at how quickly the remote offshore break had turned into a crowded venue.

"There were two distinct groups out there, the class acts like the Odyssey surfers who knew what they were doing, and the people who had no clue," said Brown. "There were tiny 8-foot inflatable boats crammed with three people with no life jackets running for their lives from the sets.

"Spectators in street clothes drove through the line-up on jet skis and another novice learning to kneeboard cut through the middle of the break ---- not to mention the whale watching boat sitting in the impact zone while people climbed on and off at the stern. It was like a Sunday afternoon at Lake Havasu."

Bill Sharp, project director for the Billabong Odyssey, expressed additional concern.

"Even though the surf was relatively small this time, you shouldn't underestimate the danger at the Cortes Bank," said Sharp. "When we go out there, we take an emergency-room doctor equipped with a defibrillator, oxygen and trauma kit, and have developed all the protocols for responding to a severe medical situation where you will be many hours from a hospital.

"But there were clearly parties out there who had no plan at all in case of a major injury or vessel catastrophe."

Billabong Odyssey members Parsons and Dorian each dropped into the biggest set waves that resulted in huge barrels, giving them "Wave-of-the-Day" honors. The westerly swell direction dampened the possibility of a record wave last Tuesday at the Cortes Bank, which gets the biggest on a more northerly swell direction.

Aloha, Really enjoyed Ed Machado's article on big wave aficionados, very exciting. Unfortunately passing this pathetic act of showmanship off, as big wave surfing is a no go reduced to "a circus" according to odyssey contest directors. While it is true the Billabong odyssey could be a circus big wave surfing should never be referred to as a circus. Big wave surfing isn't about entertainment, big wave surfing is about personal growth. It seems by bringing in a fleet of surfers, boats, aircraft, and lifeguards all equiped with life vests, spare air devices, and emergency physicians: the Odyssey puts countless lives at risk. Real big wave surfers rely only on themselves and risk no one other than them self. You will know when the surf is really big when most big wave surfers refuse to go out. True big wave surfers generally surf alone because most big wave surfers flee from the challenge of real big surf. It was disheartening when the odyssey directors refereed to themselves as class acts (us) and others as less prepared who did not know what they were doing (them). By their words and actions it seems they got who the class act is backwards. Real big wave preparation is not found in the wallet it's found in the heart. The billabong Odyssey big wave contest is a misnomer that has just about everything except the big wave surfing spirit. Odyssey contest directors talk about surfing the mythical 100 foot for commercial purposes. To set the record straight the mystical 100-foot wave(s) has already been surfed. While Ken Bradshaw rode his epic 80 footer on January 28th 1998 Milton Willis surfed a wave(s) well in excess of 100 feet at outside Sunset Beach in Hawaii. Buoy reports, pictures and eyewitness accounts verify this. To surf the largest waves ever surfed one has to ride waves larger than Milton Willis.
Good Luck.

Michael Willis- current extreme big wave surfing world champion
Solana Beach California 858 792 9486