“I went on a closeout, and I paid the price.” Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
Surfers in California are currently under siege from an enormous south swell. There are quite a few spots to go in Southern California on a big south, but for sheer entertainment purposes, the Wedge is at the top of the list. Koa Rothman knows this, so when he saw that big blob moving up the Pacific, he booked a flight and headed to Newport.
“I’m a little nervous,” Koa said from the beach path. “People are saying there are 20-footers coming through. I don’t know what that really means at the Wedge, but we’re about to find out.”
And find out he did. As it turns out, “20-footers” at the Wedge means 20-footers. Although it certainly is entertaining to watch, surfing the Wedge, especially at this size, is extraordinarily dangerous. The make-to-wipeout ratio skews to the wipeout side of things, and when it’s 20-foot plus, those wipeouts can be bad.
“Oh my god, dude,” Koa exclaimed from the sand after a few waves. “I got so pounded and drank so much water after I went on that straight closeout [see it at the 3:55 mark]. I was literally sitting out there for two hours with nothing. I just told myself, ‘the next big wave that I can catch that comes through, I’m going. I don’t even care if it’s a closeout or what.’ I went on the closeout, and I paid the price.”
If the smile on his face is anything to go by, though, he’s more than willing to shell out.
