27 March 2009
Layne Beachley
Winner of a record seven women’s world championships and a trailblazer in the colossal waves of Hawaii’s outer reefs, Layne Beachley nominates her top five surf beaches.
1. Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
This is a wave loved and loathed; one of the most unforgiving and challenging in the world. It exposes every part of your surfing. From a late take-off to steep bottom turns and growling barrels, a successful ride out at Sunset will give you the biggest adrenaline rush of your life. It has provided me with some of the greatest natural highs, but I have also suffered some of my worst wipe-outs here. It’s a very humbling wave to ride and quite difficult to read.
2. Angourie, Northern NSW, Australia
Love at first sight. Beautiful coastline surrounded by gorgeous scenery makes this wave on the outskirts of Yamba a very special place, indeed. A super high-performance wave that allows you to perfect your timing and manoeuvres, especially floaters and barrel riding. It is my favourite wave in Australia, but it’s quite fickle and attracts a considerable crowd.
3. HTs, Mentawai Islands, Indonesia
One of the most amazing waves in the world, Lance’s Rights – or HTs (Hollow Trees) as it’s widely known – is a perfect barrelling right-hander that rolls over a sharp coral reef off an Indonesian island chain called the Mentawais. I have had the privilege of surfing this wave in all sizes, from two feet to 10 feet, but it tends to be its best in the four- to six-foot range. The take-off requires commitment and courage as the wave begins to barrel ahead of you and requires you to hold a strong line through the tube while blocking out the fact that fire coral is just inches away. Not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced surfer. Not much fun on low tide, either.
4. Bells Beach, Torquay, Australia
Bells is a very prestigious location and one of the world’s most iconic surf locations. I won my first “Bell” at the Sunsmart Classic in 1994, and am the proud owner of three of the brass beauties. There are a few different sections, dependent upon the swell direction and size; ultimately the Bells Bowl is where it’s at. Sweeping walls of water surge towards the shore, providing the rider with the chance to draw out long bottom turns, arcing cutbacks and time in the tube. Be prepared for the cold: the water hovers around 14 degrees most of the year.
5. Restaurants, Tavarua Island, Fiji
Kelly Slater said this is the best left-hander in the world and I agree with him. The best thing about this wave is that it can be ridden only if you are staying on Tavarua Island, so you will always know everyone out in the line-up. It’s a long, high-performance left that rolls and barrels perfectly over a sharp shallow reef at low tide, and slows down and softens up a bit on the higher tide. This wave truly is amazing. It teaches you how to speed up and slow down to make the most of every section, and will give you a solid workout if you kick out at the end of what can sometimes be a 200m ride
Source: Qantas The Australian Way October 2008