J-Bay offered up some incredible conditions during the Corona Open last month. It wasn’t the biggest or best we’ve ever seen but day three of competition certainly stood out as something worthy of that Dream Tour label. The waves were absolutely pumping before backing off going into Finals Day. And you can imagine, the WSL brass felt great about scoring such a memorable day because, let’s face it, fans scream at them through computer and smartphone screens the moment a heat runs in anything less than double overhead and glassy surf. But such is the fate of those pesky little things called contest windows and I’ll admit it’s felt like the League has been cursed with flat spells at times. Last year’s G-Land event immediately comes to mind, which may have been the most anticipated comp in years but ended up with the CT roster — freshly cut down to 21 and a shortened contest window — getting completely skunked.
Anyway, nobody got skunked at J-Bay this year. The waves were good most days and firing for one day, in particular. Then, as if the surf gods couldn’t resist tossing down some irony, it turns out the place got completely pummeled with even better conditions as soon as the WSL packed up and left. If you’ll remember, the Corona Open wrapped up just a couple of days before the end of the contest window (July 22). Just over a week later a swell ran through that could be described as “all time.”
Trevor Hansen, a longtime fisherman and boat captain, watched the incoming swell like a hawk and documented the swell’s progression. From the first hints of a 6.7 meter/11 second-interval swell arriving to showing the area maxed out, he walks through spot checks, text messages with friends, and a lot of empty lineups. It took a minute for conditions to cooperate, including plenty of rain, but Trevor’s long drives eventually paid off. If you’d like a crash course on all things J-Bay, like war stories of memorable swells and contests as far back as the ’80s from a true waterman, and some mind-blowing views from around the town, you’re going to appreciate this.
