Kerby Brown described it as a “dark and evil wave, one that almost killed me”. But nonetheless, this event was the highlight of his surfing career which occurred last August on Western Australia’s southwest coast near Margaret River. The secret location was discovered by local surfers after being alerted by a deep-sea fisherman of the incredible waves seen about nine miles from the coastline. Brown and his friends had decided to catch some of that wave action. They waited and about an hour before dark, they decided to go for it. “It all happened so quickly though I didn’t even realize what was happening, I just knew it was a big, powerful chuck of ocean, it was just amazing.” “It breaks so far out, right in the middle of the ocean, the deepest water you can get. It’s really cold and choppy and rough, and the water is really black out there, it’s very creepy and eerie to be out there.” During the ride, Brown was thrown off his board, and received an enormous pounding as the water crashed upon him. He was pulled so far underwater that he thought that he would drown, but survived with only torn shoulder muscles. “I went straight over the tip and did a few somersaults, and my arm felt like it got ripped out of the socket. My leggie (leg rope) snapped and I got pushed super deep, when I opened my eyes under the water and couldn’t see the surface, I was so deep down.” This spectacular event was recored by photographer Andrew Buckley, and was entered into a competition of impressive surfing moments for the Oakley Surfing Life Big Wave Awards.
