Cape Fear soundcheck

This certainly isn’t a case of ‘shoulda been here yesterday.’ As you’ll see via this Mad Hueys clip, the soundcheck for Red Bull Cape Fear wasn’t all sunshine and east bowls. The ocean was a mess. Yeah, size considered, the contest would’ve been better run on the Saturday, but that’s only with the benefit of hindsight. With an all-night SW wind predicted and a projected swell, no one expected it to drop as much as it did. Plus, organisers had to make a call on Wednesday and for an event like this one, the minimum timeframe to mobilise isn’t small. Regardless of all that, this edit is a good watch: Dark, stormy, a massive great white in the channel and a guy with no fins skimming in from Cronulla rather than the regular flight path. There’s some tow waves highlights from WA wizard Brad Norris. That particularly nasty beating is OG local Evan Faulkes. And, as you can see, all the locals were freaking out over how quickly, and well, Jamie O’Brien took to the place. Best watched from the warmth of your lounge room (see also: dry land).