First Look: The Biggest And Best Cloudbreak Ever(?)

Tow isn’t dead, according to what went down today on a small coral atoll off Fiji’s south west, anyway.

The hype has been real. For at least the last week there’s been chatter of something special heading Cloudbreak’s direction. A swell of warm-up proportions arrived several days ago which only added fuel to the fire.

Flights were hastily booked, rhino chasers stuffed into XXL board bags and today, as predicted, the first freight trains appeared on the famed outer ledge.

Kelly Slater turned up, confirming suspicions that he was opting to trade less than memorable Keramas rides for a moment in big wave history. Whatever his excuse may have been, we’re backing it.

By now anyone with social media would’ve seen Chilean hellman, Ramon Navarro’s death defying ride, whether it be via shaky iPhone shots or high res clips from one of the many lensbearers in the channel.

While many of said photographers are busy with selects, bumping levels and adjusting the colours of their shots, Fred Pompermayer skipped his Fijian dinner to get a headstart and plant this batch in Stab’s inbox.

Along with an early frame of Ramon’s beast, Fred caught Danilo Couto, Kai Lenny, Laurie Towner, Luke Sher and Kelly Slater in action on what many are calling the “day of days” and “best ever” in Fijian, if not big wave surfing history.

We’ll have more coverage coming shortly.