Restaurants Serves It Up

Words: Tom Dawson
Pics: Andrew Shield

The monster swell that the southern hemisphere first saw collide with notorious Tasmanian slab Shipsterns, smashed Depot on the South East of the mainland a day later and has steadily been maintaining momentum as it travels north. The latest pressure point has been the Fijian Islands.

Solid. But can it beat last Septembers monster swell? Time'll tell.

ASL’s uber photo guy Andrew Shield was there before we even knew it with a sturdy crew of maddogs keen to tackle the beast head on.

First reports were filed late last night from Shieldsy:

“Hello. BIG waves today but nasty wind and rain and stuff. Restaurants got real good late but. Healey reckons tomorrow could be bigger than that last September swell, but we shall see.”

That ‘last September swell’ Mark Healy was referring to saw World Surfaris tour guide and general madman Dave Scard get what was one of the biggest and most perfect barrels ever ridden at Cloudbreak; almost netting him the ‘Ride Of The Year’ in the Billabong XXL Awards along the way.

Scardy's wild ride from the September 2010 session.

It also featured on the cover and ed pages of ASL 273, with a charged Laurie Towner throwing himself over the ledge on a freight train of a thing nudging 20 feet, well under-gunned on a 6’8. It didn’t end well for Loz, skimming down the face sideways, desperately and commendably trying to dig rail, fins, body, anything. The result? One hell of a body bash down the face into the football field sized wash zone. He came up grinning.

Know what it feels like to fall from the top of a three storey building? Laurie Towner does.

If you haven't seen this, check it out. If you have, you should probably check it again. Mental.

In waiting for the real stuff, the boys were left to warm up their legs at fun, reeling Restaurants. Barrels were had, rails were laid and good times ensued.

Jealous much? Restaurants' famous peeling, reeling lefts.

Taking a seat with a view at Restaurants.

Mark Healy. A smorgasboard of options on the menu.

Ryan Hipwood will just have a bucket of water, thankyou.

"Just your luck Sir, there's only one empty table left..."

You should try the sea snake here. It's delicious.

Everyone loves a McGaff. Reef McIntosh chows down.

So today could be the day then that records are broken. ASL will keep you posted.