If someone told you there was a legitimate, big- wave spot a traffic-free, fifteen-minute drive from Sydney’s CBD you might say they were having you on. However, Wedding Cake Island off Coogee Beach has been the setting for some monumental sessions over the years.
Last weekend’s whomping South swell saw ‘The Island’ come alive. As crowds huddled on the rocky fringes, a tribe of urban hell-men provided the entertainment by plummeting down the faces of avalanching, deep-water peaks.
Oscar Tate, Lachy Lemo, Matt Howard, Jamie Reid, Jeremy Willmotte and Mac Jowett are Wedding Cake regulars. However, before you entertain the thought of joining the reception party, be mindful of the fact that Wedding Cake has the tendency to be more all over the place than a groom on the morning after his bucks party. The shifting take-off zone means it’s not uncommon to get cleaned up by a fifteen-footer while chasing that friendlier looking ten-footer that just broke a little further inside. The bustle of Coogee may be close by but don’t let it lull you into a false sense of security here. There are typically more broken boards in the water than girls with botox on the beach. Long swims are common.
Despite the inevitable carnage, when you watch the footage it’s easy to understand why the mythical rocky outcrop became the subject of Midnight Oil’s ethereal instrumental track of the same name – ‘Wedding Cake Island’.
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