Rowley Rides Record 50 foot Wave at Albatross

Rowley Rides Record 50 foot Wave at Albatross

Victorian Big Wave Surfer, Jeff Rowley made history riding a record 15 metre (50 foot) wave at Albatross in Victoria on 15 September 2011.

Rowley’s ride on a wave estimated at almost 15 metres high at Albatross reef last Thursday has been accepted into the ‘Australian Oakley Big Wave Awards’ and has been entered into the ‘XXL Global Big Wave Awards’ biggest wave category.

Aside from his brother, Chris, who towed Rowley into the waves by jet ski, Rowley was the only surfer in the water at Albatross to conquer the massive waves on a day considered unsurfable.

“This is the biggest swell I’ve ever seen hit the Australian coastline,” Rowley said.

“Its just crazy out there. We were miles out to sea. There was this giant Albatross swooping at my head.

Rowley described surfing the monster wave as an “unbelievable feeling.”

“The wave was so angry, it was like riding a five storey building at 80 k’s an hour.”

“I have waited so long to surf this place. I hardly slept a wink last night, the waves were shaking the whole house. This is the best day ever.

When Rowley first sighted the wave, he knew he was riding one of the biggest waves ever caught in Australia.

“I could see the wave coming a mile off, just this black line swallowing the horizon. I yelled out to my brother to put me really deep. When I felt the wave pick me up underneath my feet, I let go of the rope and was 100% committed from that point on. I was on autopilot, flying down this wave and totally focused on making the drop.

“Taking the drop took forever. As the wave was jacking up I could feel it’s crazy power through my whole body, it gave me the biggest adrenalin rush.”

Rowley is going to ride bigger waves.

“It’s definitely one of the biggest waves I’ve ever seen, but I want to ride a wave twice as big and I’m on the hunt.”

Rowley is a big wave specialist and travels around the world to find massive waves at new locations.

Rowley recently completed his 2010/11 ‘Charge for Charity’ fundraiser for Breast Cancer Australia by paddling into a 20 foot wave at Cloudbreak in Fiji. Rowley has raised the bar for Charge for Charity 2011/12 by pledging to catch a 50 foot wave by hand, conquering his fears and raising money for charity.

In 2008, Sydney surfer, Mark Matthews rode what was considered the biggest wave in Australia for a wave estimated at almost 14 metres at Cow Bombie in Western Australia.