surfresearch.com.au  greenough : rfull bore thru the back door, 1972

A selection of colour on-board camera  shots, including the coverand some showing the board's trailing wake, were previously published in John Witzig's Surf International (1969-1970), without Greenough's commentary that significantly enhances the photographs in the Track's article.

Originally published as a half-page article in Tracks in October 1972, it was reformated as a full-page article and reprinted in The Best of Tracks (Volume 1) in 1973, page 16.
In both cases the introductory comments describing events leading up to the sequence, were printed below the photographs, which has been reversed here.

The film was mostly shot at Lennox Head and Rincon in California, these images are at Lennox with the strong impact of the early morning sun in the top right corners.
While modern digital photography makes similar photographs now commonplace, the surfing skills in evidence to produce such images in the late 1960s were remarkable.

[Introduction]

Woke up to the sound of grinding waves.
Looked out the window of my car.
Still dark but sky a touch lighter out to sea.
Got up, strapped into my wet suit, grabbed some raisins and headed to the end of the point.
Lighter now east swell bigger and faster than I thought it was.
Test ran the camera and headed out.
Took off on the inside, lucky to make it to the bottom, violent wipeout, was able to turn off the camera underwater.
Got heavily worked getting out.
Sun almost up, paddling back out I could see most of the waves were throwing 1 1/2 times their height.
On the point the biggest ones were sucking the water 8ft out from the base bending downward dropping 2ft before rushing up the face.
Second wave on the inside a bit bigger.
Just made it to the bottom, turned and by this time was 8ft back in a black sand tube, the wave peeling twice my speed, hung on longer than the first wave before being wiped out.
Lost the camera switch so it was running during the holddown.
This was the last wave of the set, so I got out easily.
With the 23 pounds of camera gear, I couldn't get into the waves on the inside early enough to get going.
Headed out past the square area on the end of the point to an outside reef.
Looking for a back door shot from the outside of the point.
Sun up now, colour perfect, light off-shore wind.
Fifteen minute wait for as big a wave as possible.
A really big set hits and I picked the third one.
Big base good take off coming off the bottom, turned on the camera.

PHOTO 1.  Climbing and banking along the top, sun shining thru the back.  Speed building, turning down, long scary turn toward point.

PHOTO 2.  The waves got that heavy thick feel, wall starting to lift,  base starting to suck. Full bore now, really flying. ,

PHOTO 3.  Coming in thru the back door.  Base's gone now, wave's throwing double its height.  Tube's much larger than l've seen.  Could have stood up and put my hands over my head and not have been able to touch the roof.  Huge slab of lip throwing.  Entering square section now.

PHOTO 4.  Water really rushing by.  The top, moving over me seems to move in slow motion.  Tube changing shape slightly, coming out of the square.  Some base coming back into wave.

PHOTO 5.  Wave's starting to move out into deep water.  Rising now halfway to the top of the tube.  Dropping slightly, increasing speed as I near the end.

Tracks,  Number 25, October 1972   The Best of Tracks  1973.

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