60 FEATURE CHOOK JOURNAL
a reasonable rate if you chose a smaller size). But if it
has swung south east then you’re going to have very
little wind to play with until you’re at the main reef. It’s
important to stay on the board at this stage because if
you find yourself in the water you may not get back up!
The rip off the ‘Surgeon's Table’ will drag you towards
the river and it could be a while until you can get
going.
Once out back all you have to do is catch a wave!
Again this isn’t easy either. The waves in WA move very
fast and because the water is deep up until the reef,
the swell is only a fat lump but moving like a freight
train. You might have to bare off to keep on the wave.
This is OK because you can jam upwind when it jacks
up. Be careful about going too far upwind if it’s a small
day. The reef is very shallow and you can end up
grounding out in the bottom turn at low tide.
When we were there one of the locals landed an aerial
into the flats, hit the slab and snapped his fins clean
off! When the session comes to an end you can relax –
only joking! Trying to get back to the keyhole in a south
easterly is something that comes with practice. A
decent wave is required and once you have passed the
main reef you have to pull upwind, staying with the
white water until you are through the keyhole. If you
don’t catch a wave you will most likely end up
swimming in. Even local legend Scott McKercher was
spotted swimming this trip!
Team rider
This was our first video since sailing with our new gear,
and almost a year since the start of The Chook Journal
project. It comes with a certain responsibility being a
‘team rider’. You think that people are going to expect
you to be better than them or throw big moves. Neither
of us have big moves to throw and at the main break
there is a huge amount of talent – especially within the
local community.
Jim first approached us about riding for Puravida
because of the Chook Journal project. We do offer
something different as young team members because
we are not only aspiring windsurfers we are aspiring
storytellers. To hear that Simmer Style and O’Shea
wanted us on their kit, with K4Fins offering continued
support and Jim Brooks-Dowsett’s enthusiasm for
upcoming projects, really shows what we have
achieved in a year. Stay tuned for more!
To see Tom and Ollie’s Home of the Chook vid hit the link - https://vimeo.com/204803624
uk
WIND
SURFING