In these strange COVID times, it’s impossible not to wonder what some of the world’s best breaks have been like in the absence of major crowds. Cloudbreak is certainly one of those hallowed waves that hold surfers in its rapture. Kelly Slater has it in his favourite wave list, and when a solid swell rolls through there is typically a posse of big wave zealots ready to jump on planes and paddle into giant, looney tubes. However, when a solid swell collided with Cloudbreak on the weekend there was only a few Fijian locals on hand to enjoy the spoils. Che Slatter’s best ride was captured by drone pilot, Jay Mason. Below Jay explains why the opportunity to thread this silky, Cloudbreak funnel didn’t come easily.
“It doesn’t look like much but if you look closely the lip is feathering from nearly breaking on second reef and then it unloads. I was trying to sit on first reef all morning and kept getting washed through to the tower by second reefers. It took two hours of beatings before I caught that wave… haha it felt so good. The jet ski just arrived a minute before I caught it too.”
Footage by Jay Mason @jaymason_