Ryan Hipwood, Shipsterns, Tasmania

Ryan Hipwood’s testicles are indeed large. The 25-year-old Australian constantly sniffs-out obese swells and chases them ’round. Shipsterns, the spot you see here, is one of those places on any big-wave man’s radar, always in the back of their mind should a tingle of the right pressure system pop up.

The day this photo was shot, the swell at Shippies was a little smaller than you’ve usually seen it hold. As we reported three days ago, Paul Fisher went down to Tasmania with Hippo and Mark Mathews to surf the place for the first time. According to Fish, Hippo was whipping him into some ridiculous waves and laughing the whole time, as well as being completely relaxed during the whole session. It’s this kinda relaxation that comes with much experience in high-danger situations – just look at the dude here, screaming through a thick-as-hell tunnel with arms raised to the heavens.

When Stab asked Hippo about the notorious post-takeoff step in Shipsterns, he said: “It’s tough when you’re paddling because you get to it a lot quicker and don’t have time to set up. I’m pretty used to it now, I know when it’s coming, and that’s the biggest part – knowing when it’s there. Fish got nailed a few times because he wasn’t used to it and he’d be looking up at the lip. I actually think it’s good now, ’cause it’s a good indication of whether you’re too deep or too wide. You wanna be behind it, not over it, because then you’re set up better for the end bowl section.”