Magic Perfection
This little adventure absolutely made my Fiji trip...
Since we had been stuck in the harbor waiting on a new transmission for Nola, we had been hiring a local guy to take us out to Cloudbreak to surf whenever there were waves, but always never got out there early enough and had to leave early so the capt. could get back to his island before dark. One drunken night in Nadi Town, Panapa and I decided we'd get dropped off at the judging tower that stands over the shallow reef at Cloudbreak and spend the night on it to get the most out of the swell coming that night. We ended up leaving the club at 5 AM when our local buddy Che decided to get himself kicked out for grabbing a full pitcher of Malibu and Pinapple juice from behind the bar and drinking it. This was after he secretly puked on the floor by the pool tables from skulling too many rum and cokes. Nice Che... Good times.
By 8am we had our gear on the long boat and were ready to roll. Sam joined us for the day. Che didnt seem to be able to make it out of bed and missed the boat... and the best waves we had surfed all trip.
Nothing more to ask for
Got out to the reef and it was pumping! Well overhead sets, offshore, awesome! Plenty of people out. Several boats parked up. Got some unreal waves. It was time for Sam and the boat to leave so we had them take us over the reef to the tower to see if it was even in good enough shape to sleep in. It was... just barely though. The thing was absolutely COVERED in bird shit. Over inch deep in places. Many birds lived in it... hence our nickname: The Birdcage. It smelled pretty bad, kinda like... birdshit, but it had a floor and a roof and it was overlooking one of the most insane Lefts in the world, so we decided to grab our gear and the dingy (with a powerful 2.5 HP engine!) and call it home for the next 24 hours. We set up tarps to block the sun and wind and I kicked myself when P pulled out his hammock... I left mine on Nola... idiot! We took a little rest and had some $1 Curry Roti's and watched the place just start firing! Everybody had since left, we were just laughing our asses off, jumping around squawking like the birds. This is what we came for.
Striking Gold
So as we geared up a lone Tavarua boat pulled up with a few guys on it. These guys had the place absolutely wired with style. A few of them turned out to work for the camp and could tell they had been surfing this place for a long time. I cant imagine what it would be like to have had this wave all to yourself for the last 25 years!!! For those who don't know... Tavarua Island/Surf Resort has had exclusive rights to surfing Cloudbreak for the last few decades. And just a few months ago the Fijian Govn't lifted the rights allowing anybody to come surf it. First of all, I think it's 100% BULLSHIT to be able to have exclusive rights to ride a wave that was formed in the ocean several hundred miles away. CROCK OF SHIT! But the Tavarua crew had it. And that's part of the reason people paid unbelievable amounts of mula to stay there and surf it's waves. But now they don't... and that's why we were there, camping in a little, rickety, stinky shack a few feet above the water about to score our brains out. : )
View from the Birdcage
This evening session was magical. The sun was low in the sky turning the waves yellow gold green and the light offshores were sending golden spray into the sky. Dropping into giant outside bombs all the way down the reef. Some unreal ones. Kicking myself for not bringing my 6'6" step-up board out there with us. Got big, nice, round, fast barrels. Sitting there soaking it all in.... humbling giddyness. A handfull of guys just scoring.
Then the Tavarua boys left leaving P and I all by ourselves... hooting as we waved goodbye to the last of the crowd! Sky and clouds turning mystical colors. Sun setting with sets stacking up, surfing with just one buddy at pumping Cloudbreak. Just as I was pondering whether or not there are much better moments in life... big wide one came in and as I grabbed the rail on a late drop I saw this was going to be the best wave of my time in Fiji... big bottom turn, gouge one off the top, driving down the line, grab rail, hand into the liquid to stall, colors and the water texture are still vivid in my mind, amazing vision, lip goes over, time slows, air pressure changes, the ultimate experience, my happy place, looking down the line another long section about to throw, drive into it... deep, had brief thought of not making it... then saw the light. Came blasting out on the shoulder in front of the Birdcage, pink and orange water and sky, Tavarua island in the background, orange sun, warm air, brain set to "STOKED". P was on the inside hooting. I was hooting. That was it. Pure Euphoria. One of those moments in surfing that will stay with me my entire life. A collection of elements and timing that amounts to absolute magic. This is what I came for... and this is what I'll be after as long as I live. Those few seconds of absolute bliss. I could leave Fiji a happy man. But there was still the next morning!
Birdcage Sunrise
We climbed back up into the Birdcage and have tuna on crackers with more Roti's. And watched the sunset as giant sets steamrolled down the reef, the dawn patrol looked liked it was going to be all time! We had the best view in the house. The birds were all coming back to roost after their day fishing at sea... they were pissed we had taken over their house. It was a long damn night. At high tide the waves would break and hit the bottom of the floor, I thought I was gonna take one in the face any minute. There were thunder storms and a few sprinkles, the birds were squawking all night. The smell was horrible, you couldnt hide from it. The dawn finally broke and greeted us with another pumping morning at Cloudbreak. Not a breath of wind. Killer sunrise. Clean double overhead sets. Grubbed a pineapple and Roti and got out there. Not much more to say about this magical session other than that it was... magical. Late dropping big heaving waves on my 6'2". Adrenal gland at full tilt. Beautiful morning sun lit waves. Big healthy waves. Big healthy barrels. Arms like noodles. Good shit!
Dawn Patrol with Birdcage
P and I had it to ourselves for about an hour before another boat showed up. And after 3.5 hours we had our fill. Back for a snooze in the Birdcage only to hear a Ski from Tavarua pull up to the tower with a few boards on the back and a camera in our face. He kept driving around the tower taking pictures of us and then says, "Just so you know, I'll be showing these to the Fijian Govn't to let them decide if this is OK or not... just so you know." And i thought, "Well FUCK YOU too asshole!" I asked why, and if what we were doing was illegal and he said, "Oh yeah... I know a lot of people who would not be OK with this." and he took off, and went surfing.
Black Magic
This made me think we might have been the first ones to camp on the tower. But I can't believe that. But I guess we could have been realizing the place was open to the public now. (I'll just go ahead and claim it here then: First to camp out in the Cloudbreak judge tower... P and I, all time sessions.) I thought the guy really handled the situation wrong... which really got under my skin. He could have just told us we were trespassing and told us to leave. We would have graciously apologized, thanked him for the epic waves and closed up shop. But taking pictures and a Govn't threat? What a dick! We're just a couple of surfers looking to get some good waves and happened to be camping out among piles off bird shit on some collapsing tower in the middle of the ocean a mile from the nearest land of any kind. Give us a little credit for trying. A little later we watched as Mr. Photo was rushed back to Tavarua island on a boat after puncturing a lung either on his board or the reef. Wonder how he's doing.
I can understand why the Tavarua crew might be a little bitter about all these new people coming to surf "their waves", but deep down do they really think they have the right to "own" a wave that breaks in the ocean??? I have trouble believing they do. My advice to them, is to appreciate the private access and the mind blowing empty waves they have had over the last several decades, suck it up and deal with it like every surf camp in the world that has access to the same waves as the general public do. You have had your time with it... now you're gonna have to learn to share... I know, life just isn't fair sometimes. And if you don't want people living on that tower, either blow it up or simply put a "No Trespassing" sign on it. It's that easy. Or build a floating surf camp out there and rake it in.
It was soon time for us to meet our boat guy to take us back to Nola. We packed up the gear into the dingy and tried to start the engine but it didn't work so we drifted over the reef waiting for our ride. Sun shining, waves pumping, each of us with a grin reaching ear to ear.... Those were
The Magical Birdcage Sessions.
