A High-Octane Encounter with Cyclops

Under the dark veil of the early morning sky, we loaded up and embarked on our adventure to Cyclops. A notorious surf spot famed for its monstrous waves breaking over a razor-sharp bedrock, adorned with immense barnacles. A slab that is widely respected amongst core slab chasers and big wave surfings biggest names. The company it keeps.. the abundance of sea life and deadly Great White Sharks, the apex predators of the sea. This area is tragically renowned for its GWS fatalities.

It was early morning when we arrived. We unhitched the skis, kitted up and set off. Skis breaking the glassy surface of the waters, hearts pounding in anticipation. As we neared Cyclops, we could see the wave formations showing their deadly beauty. It was intimidatingly shallow, the lethal ledge barely cloaked beneath the shifting water. Yet, the daunting prospect of surfing such waters failed to deter the boys. Chris Ross was up first, partnered by the experienced veteran Greg Spouse.

My cousin Mike Capelli and I ran safety and watched from the channel, the tension palpable as Crossy began duelling with the one eyed monster. The shallowness posed a massive challenge, making it impossible to get deep and achieve the coveted barrel. Nevertheless, Chris pulled off a solid dozen or so runs, his form a testament to his mastery over decades of slab chasing on the south coast. He and Spousey switched over and the Spousinator had a crack on a few. 50+ and still living for these moments of pure rush.

As time wore on, my nerves twitched with the raw adrenaline coursing through my veins. The hype was real, as psyched as you can be. It wasn’t long before they asked if I wanted a turn. A few words of encouragement from the boys all it took. Eager and nervous, I clutched the tow rope, and within moments, I was riding the beast. My initial runs served as a nice warm-up, few draining slabs to semi safety. Then, real challenge presented itself.

I found myself hurtling at breakneck speed, deep, away deep and behind the peak. The thought flashed across my mind, "I'm in too deep," but the thirst for the thrill to ride and make it, kept me pushing through. I was blinded by the spray and speed of the ski's wake, way deep with the peak capping in front of me. I tried to pull out through the back but was moving too quickly to engage my fins so I skipped out, disengaged and it was all over. I knew I was going over but I didn’t realise how quickly and violently.

In an instant, I was sucked backwards and thrown headfirst onto the barnacle-studded floor, my head ringing with the impact. I found myself flipped over, the razor-sharp barnacles slicing through my protective gear, grazing my skin. I was sucked further into the relentless whitewash, dragged underwater right up and into the granite rock. I finally popped up after being rag dolled and swam as fast as I could, every muscle screaming in protest, escaping the white fury and making my way towards the deeper water.
The faces that greeted me on the skis were etched with fear. "Are you alright?" they yelled. Shaken but determined, I managed a loud "yep" and pleaded, "get me out of here." Jumped on the sled, head down contemplating my near miss and was dragged to safety.

Spousey, wide-eyed, admitted it was the worst wipeout he had ever seen at Cyclops, maybe because he was the one on the ski responsible and saw where I went down haha. Literally the worst spot, right where you don’t want to be.

Despite the close call, the adrenaline surge had me itching for another go. I had to conquer this monster for my peace of mind. It was not yet time to admit defeat. We returned to the lineup, wrestling with it for another thirty minutes or so until Mother Nature signalled it was time to retreat. The wind picked up, the chops became too violent, rendering Cyclops virtually unrideable.

Photos by the talented Matt Blakers. 

Thus ended part one of our adventure to Cyclops. Stay tuned as we brave the tempestuous wave and surroundings once more, driven by the relentless pursuit of thrill and mastery.

Stay tuned for Crossy’s wipeout and experience with a barnacle infested rock in part two - coming soon.