Chase Hardaker rides into surfing history on giant swell

While most surfers stayed out of the water as monster waves smashed Sydney’s coastline, Chase Hardaker grabbed his trusty ‘gun’ and rode into the surfing history books.

Chase Hardaker surfed the large swell at Ben Buckler at Bondi last week. It has been called biggest wave ever surfed at Bondi, maybe one of biggest ridden in Australia. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Most surfers stayed out of the water as monster waves smashed Sydney’s coastline this week.

Not Chase Hardaker.

It was the 23-year-old Bondi lifeguard’s rostered day off, so he grabbed his trusty “gun” big wave surfboard, and rode into the surfing history books.

The massive wave, estimated to be six or seven metres tall, Chase caught at Ben Buckler on Tuesday is being called the biggest wave ever ridden at Bondi, and one of the biggest ever ridden in Australia.

“Paddling one that size I’ve never done, it was pretty incredible,” Chase, who grew up in Bronte and has surfed since he was a “grommet”, said.

“You don’t get these swells often and, when they do come, you have to try to make the most of them.”

Chase Hardaker surfing this massive wave at Ben Buckler at Bondi last week. Picture: Orlanda Golfin

Using your arms to paddle into a giant wave is considered the biggest test in surfing, as opposed to being towed into a swell by a jetski.

Nineteen-year-old photography student and aspiring surf photographer Orlanda Golfin captured the instantly iconic image of Chase on his wave.

“I saw him start to paddle towards this huge wall of a wave. I just clicked and clicked and clicked. I was really lucky,” she said.

Orlanda said she “knew I couldn’t miss the moment and, even if I didn’t get a shot, it was so entertaining to watch. I love capturing a moment caught in time.

“I’m still in shock.”

The giant waves were generated by a freakishly powerful low pressure system which sat in just the right place in the Tasman Sea to direct its swells onto Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The waves trashed the Bondi Icebergs on Tuesday night.

Chase’s “gun” board is back in its rack and he’s back watching over swimmers at Bondi while awaiting “all the pieces fall into place” to create the next giant swell.

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Originally published as Chase Hardaker rides into surfing history on giant swell