This is Carl Beadham at a notorious hard core local break. I don't claim to know Carl that well but I know his parents and met him as a skinny kid and young adult. As far as I know he lives to surf - often at Cactus in S.A. He comes back to work just long enough to make enough money to go surfing again. He often wins the local surf contests but doesn't really give a damn about the pro side of surfing.
I am guessing this was taken recently in the awesome offshore 30+ degree conditions we have had. Robin and I have actually paddled out at this place, twice - when it was a hell of a lot smaller than this of course. Neither of us got a wave - paddling up a face the size of a large building was enough to freak us out. We realised we were out of our depth and were lucky enough to get back in one piece. It is sharky, fringed by treacherous sharp-pocked limestone reef and rock and the rips are perilous. Really good surfers will tell you that they have been caught out and paddled for 45 minutes non-stop just to get back in.
All power to Carl. Next life I am coming back without the fear gene.
