Imagine peering over the lip of a massive, warping, monstrosity of a wave. It dwarfs your rig. It threatens you, questions your sanity with its gaping maw of a tube. 

It forces you to reconcile whether you are ready to be plunged into certain oblivion. If it deems fit to spit you out on the face and not the reef you may experience the most joyous expression known to man – a four-hundred-metre, down-the-line rollercoaster ride of sweet bottom-turn-to-cutback combinations. 

Story Tommy Cohen & Matthew Cohen // Photos JOHN CARTER

WILL YOU, WON’T YOU?
The preparation for windsurfing massive Cloudbreak is essential to the success of the experience. It should include vigorous training, careful monitoring of the charts, cunning selection of equipment, the correct diet and a hell of a lot of luck.

I have to admit I was largely reliant on the last of the list as part of my preparation for windsurfing Cloudbreak in May 2013. In fact I was only two days from leaving when my brother rang me and insisted that I take my windsurfing equipment instead of my surfboard.

His constant ribbing of me as a ‘gunna’ (The Australian vernacular for someone who constantly tells people that he is “going to” do something but never does) forced me to pack it. I’m not sure that I really wanted to. The hassle of transporting all that gear, plus two small children and a long-suffering wife who wanted a nice relaxing family beach holiday just didn’t seem worth it.

A surfboard under one arm seemed much more reasonable. I mean, I didn’t even intend to do much surfing. I just needed to step out of the rat race for a week so, when I booked the holiday two months in advance, sailing Cloudbreak was the furthest thing from my mind.

We arrived at Plantation Island on the Tuesday afternoon and were warmly greeted by a pretty consistent 20 knots and a 15-second period swell. Suddenly the world started to take on new meaning. Maybe I’d get some windsurfing in even though I thought the surf might be a little big? Maybe even as large as 8-foot. In fact I thought I might be not be able to sail in surf that big. I’d probably only windsurfed in 6-7 foot swell at the biggest. Oh well, I’d committed to windsurfing. The look on my wife’s face after lugging all the kit would not have been pleasant if I didn’t try.

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR
Wednesday: I awoke at 6:30 a.m. to a 25-30 knot SE Trade wind. I have to admit I was getting super excited. I’d organized the day before to get a spot on the 10 a.m. boat out to Namotu or Cloudbreak, depending on where everyone wanted to go. I knew I’d be on a boat with surfers who’d probably get to choose the spot. The chances of there being anyone else there windsurfing were so slim that I’d given up hope on that. I had reconciled myself to sharing a boat with surfers, meaning I’d have to rig after they got off the boat and be back at the boat and de-rigged before they returned. Even so, I was likely to be treated to some pretty fun waves.

Imagine the disappointment upon arriving at the dock for the launch when I realized that the surfers had bailed out of the boat trip due to the wind – the very thing I needed. The boat trip was going to be just me and I couldn’t justify the cost. That coupled with the very real fears of sailing a break I’d never seen other than on YouTube and the chances of breaking equipment on the reef and suddenly I’d talked myself out of the trip-of-a-lifetime. Dejected, I wandered back to my cabin and my family. I even went for a flat-water blast in lovely warm water of the lagoon, but ultimately I knew I’d let everyone down. Not really! I love flat-water sailing too! I was powered up and hammering – it was awesome, but I had to stop after about half an hour because the tide dropped and my fins started hitting the sand!

STAR STRUCK
I was off to organize lunch for my family, thinking I might do some more sailing when the tide turned, when I saw on the boat dock a new Starboard Quad and a few Severne sails. I wandered over to check them out and to find the owner. When I looked up I realized I was staring at Scott McKercher. Right in front of me! Like a complete Muppet I immediately ask “Is your name Scott?” to which he simply replied “yes”. Not quite believing him “Scotty McKercher?” again he replied “yes”. I must have sounded like an idiot. “Dude you were on a poster on my wall when I was younger!”

There was a bit of banter between me and Scotty McKercher as I explained to him what an inspiration he was and then I turn to the other guy who is standing near him. Adjusting his gear, ready to be loaded onto the boat, a tall, quiet, giant of a man. I look at him for a moment before I ask “is your name Philip?” he says “yes.” Not quite believing it and knowing that I sound like an even bigger idiot. “Is your name Philip Koester?” He looks embarrassedly at Scotty, who shrugs his shoulders as if to say “I thought he was your friend?” And then I couldn’t help myself “Are you Philip Koester – the current and 2 x World Champion? That’s awesome!” He kind of laughs at my enthusiasm and soon we are laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

NOW OR NEVER
Professional surf photographer John Carter is also getting on the boat and I realize they are about to go to Cloudbreak right now. I can’t believe my luck. If I was any later I wouldn’t have met them. I start looking around for something for them to sign. This is awesome. My heroes are right in front of me. I wonder if they wouldn’t mind signing my sailboard even though it’s a different brand to their sponsors. This is all running through my head when I hear the words pop out of my mouth. “Any chance I could come on the boat with you guys?” I can’t believe I asked! They were super nice about it and totally hooked me up.

I was on cloud nine! I was back at the boat within 8-minutes. I timed it. My wife also timed it. She was left with whining kids and no lunch … it is suffice to say I will not be receiving the “Father of the Year Award” for 2013.  Episode One: Cloudbreak 4-6 foot with a good 25-30 knots cross off, which was awesome. I was more than a little overpowered, but in the end managed just fine on my 5.3 rigged as flat as she’d go and got some awesome wave sailing with my idols.

You couldn’t wipe the grin off my face! To add to the euphoria, about 20 minutes into the session Jason Polakow turned up amped and ready to get amongst it! I’m looking around – there I am windsurfing with 3 world champions. It was unbelievable conditions on a world-class break and I’m ‘living the dream’. We managed to get around 3-4 hours on the water and I was treated to a display of some of the biggest hacks off the top and best wave riding I’d ever seen. Not to mention Koester roosting a few big forwards and back loops. Everyone was tearing the place apart.

Scott McKercher’s cutback is phenomenal and JP’s ability to project off-the-lip is on another level altogether. I definitely got schooled on wave riding. It was a real Master Class in performance riding in-the-pocket, but I still managed to get a heap of waves and the experience of a lifetime. The really cool thing was my sailing was improving all the time. After the session was over and the light was fading we packed up and headed back to Plantation Island. On the trip home we all talked about tomorrow, which was when the real swell was arriving and Scotty and Philip start to suggest that it could be 15 foot. They invited me to come along again. I knew then that I was going to be out of my league, but I thought it might be good just to go and watch anyway. Episode Two: The next morning I got up and got my gear and my camera ready.

Really I only intended to watch and take photos. I headed out to the boat to meet up with the boys. They were frothing at the bit to get out there so we loaded the boat and off we went. It was a much lighter, probably around 15 knots, which turned out to be a good thing as the wave was cleaner and the potential for me to sail looked promising. About half way out to Cloudbreak we could see the white water and the tube. A huge eye in the wave, staring at us, challenging us. It was big, bigger than I’d expected.

The boys were getting super keen and I was getting super nervous. It was pumping. The wind was light and the waves were around the 8-10 foot mark. There were a few surfers out including John John Florence and Taj Burrow, who were getting some sick tubes in preparation for the Volcom Pro the following week.  We watched for about an hour. I’d already thought that swell was big, but then within 20 minutes it jacked up further and it was huge. As it rose and the tide came up, the big west bowl started to break and the largest sets were just cleaning all the surfers up. It was gnarly. There was the typical cheering from the crowd in boats, but also a lot of guys going over-the-falls. Broken boards, sliced-up bodies. The jet skis were busy cleaning up the mess. It was like a war zone. Definitely no place for an amateur sailboarder! My punter status suddenly became very apparent to me.

EMPTINESS
Suddenly Cloudbreak was empty. The wind was just starting to come in. It was simply unrideable on a surfboard and the tow-in guys were nowhere to be seen. JP and Scotty rigged up and headed out. Philip Koester and I stayed on the boat because it was just a little light. I realized Koester is 90 kg. and 6’ 2”. He is a big-fella. I too am of larger build, so we played it cool and agreed that it was too light to sail yet. Truth be told I was freaking out by how big it was. About 10 minutes later the wind picked up to 15 knots so Koester rigged and off he went. I watched him sail off towards the wave. He looked excited, but I suddenly felt quite alone.

MAN UP, MAN
It was just me and the Capitan, which sounds like something from Gilligan’s island, but with fewer coconuts. If coconuts are a metaphor, then mine were feeling quite small, and it wasn’t even cold. Now there comes a time in one’s life where you have to make the decision to man up and get out there or forever live the shame of missing the opportunity to experience something special. I’d like to say I made that decision then and there, but I didn’t. Instead I rigged up not because I was brave, but more out of guilt. The captain was there just looking at me, as if to ask “Well, are you gunna?” He sounded very much like my brother.

Once on the water I slog over to the line-up. The wind is really light!  The first thing I see is Philip and Scotty getting mowed down by a massive set because they were caught on the inside after taking smaller waves, you know the 10 foot ones! Seriously, are those the smallest? A quick mental note to self. Don’t get caught on the inside! With some sort of mad logic I decide that taking the larger waves is the best course of action because it means there aren’t any bigger ones behind them. Eventually I get out the back, jibe and there I am getting ready to go. I kept asking myself what the hell I was doing.

I look over my shoulder and there’s this huge slab building behind me. I look forward and the boys start waving me to go.  I start coaching myself “Just get to the bottom, Tommy, just get to the bottom … ”

You wouldn’t believe the speed I was travelling down the face of this monster. I’ve done some fast runs on slalom gear, but that’s smooth sailing compared to this. The chop on the face is ruinous. The breaking wave behind you is deafening, the clarity of vision regarding the useless life you’ve led to this point disconcerting. But, once you make a bottom turn – and then a cutback and then another and then another – you can’t get enough. Adrenaline Junkies beware! Cloudbreak is beautiful, powerful, long, smooth and fast.

SHOULDER SOLDIER
The rush was there on every wave, but I was careful not to make any mistakes. The pictures tell it all, I sat a lot wider than the others, but then again my gear survived, I survived and frankly my wife is very happy about that, not to mention how glad I am! I got to sail Cloudbreak in 15-foot waves for 3 hours. We all got heaps of rides and it was just the four of us.  That was the craziest session I’ve ever had.

Watching Scotty and JP rip this wave to pieces was unbelievable. Those guys are quite correctly some of the most awesome sailors ever. I found out later that Philip had broken his mast and torn his sail on the first wipeout and, because his other gear hadn’t turned at the airport, was forced to sit on the boat. He was out of gear and couldn’t even borrow my equipment due to sponsorship deals. Seriously, I did offer! He wasn’t alone though. Both JP and Scotty had broken 2-3 sails each and a couple of masts as well. It turned out I was the only one who didn’t break anything. I think this is because of my earlier mental note, luck had nothing to do with it!

That night we had a few beers and regaled each other with stories about the awesome couple of days we’d just had. What an amazing experience. I must say those guys are some of the nicest blokes you can meet. When you consider that they let a complete amateur tag along with them, you get a real sense of the love they have for this, the greatest of all sports, and the fraternity that we belong to as windsurfers.  TC

A couple of tips for anyone thinking about going to Fiji to wavesail …

1. Go to Fiji for a wavesailing holiday it will change your life

2. Take someone who wave-sails with you as there’s a very good chance you will have to hire the boat by yourself. This is because the surfers don’t want to surf in the wind. My pick of people to take include Scott McKercher, Philip Koester and JP, but anyone will do!

3. Stay at Plantation Island. It’s much cheaper and really kid friendly. It’s also close enough to all the breaks. You can always stay at Namotu, which would be heaps closer, but you may need a second mortgage!

4. Boat rides to the break cost between $70-$90 FJD (around $50 AUD) to get out to the reefs and they hang around while you sail and will come and rescue you if need it. Definitely worth the money.

5. Bring heaps of sun cream

Go to Fiji for a wavesailing holiday it will change your life.