Relive: A Day At Cloudbreak Etched In Surfing Lore

A deep dive into Nick Pollet’s YouTube channel unearths a hidden gem: a 16-year-old clip of the filmmaker himself absolutely ripping. It’s not an anomaly among surf cinematographers. Kalani Minihan, Erik Knutson, Wade Carroll, Dyl Roberts, Dan Scott, Mikey Mallalieu— these guys don’t just film; they fucking tear.

With a few recent trips canceled, Pollet has turned his downtime into a creative revival, digging into his archives and uploading iconic surf sessions. Among them is Mason Ho’s maiden trip to Tahiti, where the fearless Hawaiian set the standard for first-timers on his backside.

The next archival treasure comes from the Thundercloud swell of 2012, a historic day in surfing lore, which unfolded during the Volcom Fiji Pro, adding an extra layer of drama to an already monumental swell. 

“They ran one heat in the morning—Kai Otton versus Raoni Monteiro—but it just started picking up so quickly,” Pollet recalled. “That’s why those waves of John John [Florence] early weren’t that big yet. The wind was so sketchy at first, and then it just got bigger and cleaner all day.”

Pollet was on the WSL’s broadcast boat, an 88-foot luxury yacht filled with surfing’s elite, including Matt Wilkinson (Wilko) and Rip Curl’s Neil Ridgway (Fletch). “At one point, Kelly [Slater] was getting ready to paddle out, but as soon as that fucked-up three-wave set came through, he was like, ‘I think I’ll stay on the boat after that one.’”

For many, the swell was a breakthrough moment for Chilean charger Ramon Navarro. “I’d never heard of Ramon until that swell,” Pollet admits. “I couldn’t even find him to give him his clips. It was weird—it was kind of before Instagram and all that shit was popping off.” Navarro’s barrel remains one of the most iconic rides ever captured.

Pollet compared the electricity in the air to Tahiti’s infamous Code Red swell, which he had also witnessed from the channel. “With Code Red, it looked so fake it felt like a cartoon. But in Fiji, everyone was so close to the waves, screaming their heads off. The vibe was sick—everyone was just paddling. No one even tried to tow, even though someone probably could’ve with some of those sets.”

Aussie World Champs Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson (Parko) performances still leave you slack-jawed. 

“Mick jumped off the boat, borrowed Kala [Alexander]’s board, and fucking sent it. He got so smoked on one, no life vest or anything. Later that night on Namotu, we put the footage on the TV, cracked beers, and relived the day. Mick was just like, ‘Man, I went so deep underwater there.’ Then Parko too, he got two insane ones. It’s just sick to remember how hard those two charge.”

Pollet cracks up remembering the shortest session of Vaughan Blakey’s life, who couldn’t resist paddling into the third-reef lineup right as the biggest set of the day came through. “He sat out there for one wave, then that massive mutant set came. He thought he was going to die. You can see him in the clip paddling for his life back to the boat. Fuck, that day was the sickest ever.”

Pollet’s archive is packed with treasures. Beyond the Thundercloud swell, he has footage of Tyler Wright’s standout session at P-Pass with Wade Goodall, Owen Wright, and Wilko. Plus more recent clips of Mason Ho, Baron Mamiya, and Jack Robinson waiting to be shared.