With a massive swell heading down from Northern Queensland and battering Sydney with massive waves the call was given to run the Red Bull Cape event at the infamous ‘Ours’ surf break. ‘Ours’ saw one of the best swells to hit the reef in the last decade producing waves that were 15 feet plus and breaking just 15m from a barnacle encrusted cliff face.

The wave is notorious for being wider than it is high, its double ups and backwash, caused by the close proximity of the cliff ledge. The first day of competition was held on Monday with the event wrapping up on Tuesday, with strong performances from James Adams, Justin ‘Jugghead’ Allport, Koby Abberton, Mark Matthew, Richie Vas and Evan Faulks. A special mention must go to 17-year-old Riley Laing, who after receiving a heavy wipe-out, brushed it off and paddled back out like nothing had happened.

The first day of competition was called off in the afternoon as conditions started to max out with the surfer’s safety starting to become a risk, before the competition was completed this morning in the outer suburbs of Sydney in a more ‘manageable’ 8 – 12 feet.

It was today that 18 year old Russell Bierke took home first place in this one of a kind event with his mum watching from the cliff, who came to watch her young son battle it out in these monstrous waves, something she usually avoids; “I don’t usually get to watch him do his big wave surfing. It always happens so far away. I wish I didn’t come up (from Ulladulla) to watch now,”

Watch the highlights from Simple Livers below:


Leave this kind of stuff to the professional mad men and head to our Portugal surf camp for head high perfection, perfect for surfers of all abilities with an option of gentle beach-breaks, reefs and points alongside breath-taking scenery and delicious food.  

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Photo by: redbull_surfing/Instagram