"It's the biggest, most perfect dream session you could ever imagine," Fletcher said from the boat. Needless to say, there were some really big waves ridden, and most everyone got one. You could probably have bought a new Mercedes with all the camera equipment seen in just about every boat. The forecast was calling for the swell to arrive on Tuesday, and that's exactly what happened.īy the time the surf really started pulsing and pushing a consistent 15-plus feet, there were 20 to 30 boats fringing the Cloudbreak reef, plus a handful of jet skis buzzing in and out of the lineup. Come Monday, July 11, most of the players were in place, some staying on the island resort of Tavarua, others on the mainland, content to ferry out to the famed lineup every morning. No last-minute downgrading, no lack of living up to the hype - of which there was plenty.
Irons joined good friend Nathan Fletcher, 10-time world champ Kelly Slater, Mark Healey, Reef McIntosh, Dave "Wasselhoff" Wassel, Mike Pietsch, Kohl Christensen, Jon Roseman, Fergal Smith, Alex Gray and Garrett "G-Mac" McNamara for what to date has proven to be the swell event of the year.įorecast charts and satellite maps showed the swell a week to ten days out, and unlike most other swells, this one held true.
NATHAN FLETCHER SURFER SKIN
I get chicken skin thinking about it, even though I almost drowned," Irons said. "I visualized it five minutes before I got that wave, it will stick in my mind forever. Irons, Slater, Healey and more hit Fiji for an insane session.