Local photographer Toby Nicol, aka @sunrise_searcher, braved the mid-summer swell at North Steyne in Manly on the weekend which was extra wild thanks to ex-cyclone Cody and an underwater volcanic eruption in Tonga. He was hoping for the perfect shot; he found it.
Enter Manly boy Vinny Burgess – in full flight and at great speed pushing his tether to its limit. He hadn’t known the photo was taken but eagle eyed Manly Observer readers Bianca and Matty Mousedale spotted their mate when we reposted the image on our instagram.
Vinny was stoked: “Yeah it is haha! Sickest shot!”
Vinny, who lives at South Steyne, says he surfs as much as he can get away with “especially when the waves are as good as last week.”
“It definitely didn’t feel that high but the photo doesn’t lie! I barely remember that wave but know it was a fun session,” he recalls, (somewhat).
“The conditions were super fun and nice to enjoy it with a few less people in the water.”
Despite the humid weather, the beaches have been relatively quiet for this time of year as life guards have had to close most beaches along our coast line because of erratic tides, strong rips and punishing waves.
It’s been a boon for diehard surfers as well as marine life, with grey nurse sharks, rays, turtles and wobbegongs all enjoying the relative calm and quiet at Cabbage Tree Bay near Shelly Beach.
