Photo by © @gumbootcamera
Kookslam at Bruces By Craig Jarvis
Worst jump-offs in the world include Lennox Head (Aus), Grajagan - there is no channel (Indonesia), Bruces Beauties (St Francis), Burleigh Heads (Aus), Supertubes on a solid day (JBay) and Buffels Bay in the Cape Point Nature Reserve.
T
to speak. A quick thumbs up to the onlookers,
his year, I was blessed to enjoy three extended trips to Indonesia. It was my
We watched a few guys jump. There were
son’s first time in Indo, my first time
some close moments, but no one really came a
back in 14 years - my travels stopped when
cropper. It looked relatively harmless.
and it was round two. I proceeded back toward the big rock to get some shelter from the oncoming dangerous-
he was born as many years ago. Most people can’t afford to look after kids as well as traipse
(Did you know that the saying ‘come a cropper’
looking sets. As I attempted to climb a tiny shelf
around the world selfishly chasing waves and
is derived from the Old Norse word kropp,
to get to safety, something in my groin broke.
moaning about onshores.
the name of a hump or swelling on the body.
I collapsed, screaming for help as I started to
The Oxford English Dictionary graphically
disappear under another set.
It was quite a shock to get back home to
describes a crop as a ‘swollen protuberance
South Africa and hit the end section of the
or excrescence. This will become important
Some more people came to help, but each time
worst winter in 40 years. Our 8-year drought
later.)
they tried to lift me, I screamed so loudly that they stopped, and some spectators started
had finally been somewhat alleviated, but the
filming.
storms and unfavourable southerly winds
When the swell comes from the south, the
continued unabated, along with the news that
waves pour through. Still, a friend spotted
the JBay Open had been cancelled.
a gap and sent me scurrying. It was quite a
“Can you please ask them to stop filming me?” I
dramatic day, so throngs of spectators watched
asked some kind gentleman who was definitely
Then, the swell of the year started approaching
me clamber down, jump onto the left rock, hop
a non-surfer but was very concerned about
the Eastern Cape area. While a 9-metre west
onto the right rock, and slip and fall on my butt.
my well-being.
much to get into the sweet spots around here
As I grovelled back to my feet, a 2-foot surge
“Ignore them, don’t worry about them,” he said.
that no one was alarmed. That was until the
with 20 seconds of power behind it came, took
“You were very brave and did tremendously
period forecast jumped to 20 seconds, and
my legs from under me, and sent me into a
by even trying to surf these giant breakers.” By
the swell forecast started looking like the swell
little hole in front of the main rock. As I climbed
using words like ‘brave,’ ‘tremendously’, and
would come straight from the south. Then it
out of the pool, a bigger wave bore down on
‘breakers’, he was making things worse.
became an ‘oh my golly gosh’ kind of forecast.
me. I just relaxed, knowing there was no way
swell is startling, it must bend and twist so
The waves at Bruce’s Beauties were booming
of fighting and winning with that amount of
As I was carried out by three able-bodied
power behind the swell.
friends, I saw a friend and asked her to phone my wife.
on the second day of the swell. There were some excellent waves at Bruce’s main break
The wave engulfed me and moved me
and some solid barrels at Killers. While
horizontally underwater in a sitting position at
“Can I help you get out of your wetsuit? I’ll just
watching the sets, I bumped into one of the
speed before I hit a flat rock with my butt with
rip it off you quickly?” offered another friend.
original Bruce’s locals, Trevor Hansen, and
sickening force.
I was in so much pain that the idea of ripping my suit off was too painful to contemplate.
we chatted. “It’s a relatively easy jump off, bru,’ said Trevor as we watched a set totally engulf
‘That did not feel good.’ As the wave receded
the jump rock. “It’s just all about the timing.”
and the throngs of spectators started shouting
“Please get me some clothes, and I’ll just do
Trevor’s right. At Bruce’s, it is all about timing,
at me, I clambered to my feet, somewhat
it slowly,” I asked my friend. She passed me
actually. Get a gap, clamber off the big rock,
shakily.
some undies and a pair of tracksuit pants from my car. There was quite a crowd by now,
then hop to the left-rock, right-rock, left-rock, right-rock, and launch. What could possibly go
My board was unscathed. My butt felt
wrong?
unusually sore but was still in one piece, so
concerned about my well-being,
