Soli Bailey will pay to play. He’ll pay a lot. Photos: YouTube//Screenshot
“Greenbush… what a crazy wave,” says Soli Bailey. Anyone who surfs for any real length of time is going to get hurt in some way. You might leave your pound of flesh on a sharp reef. You might open up your shin on a fin. You might get hit in the head by the rail of your board. Hell, you might just throw your back out, mess up your shoulders, or wreck your neck. It’s all par for the course. The juice is worth the squeeze, though, and Soli Bailey knows that better than most.
Bailey has spent a fair bit of time in that particular part of the world, doing boat trips and hunting the Mentawai Island chain for waves that barrel. Greenbush certainly is that, but as with all barreling waves, the entry fee can be steep.
“Over the last 10 years, every trip I have done to Greenbush has ended with an injury,” Bailey wrote. “Blown backs, reef gouges, and a concussion, I’ve paid my taxes at this wave.”
In this episode of Talking Story, Bailey breaks down his history at the famous wave, talks about one of the best sessions he’s ever been a part of, and describes what happens when things go wrong. Despite those things going wrong, though, you can bet that Bailey will be back as soon as the right swell points itself at the southern Ments.
