Big wave surfer conquers Albatross

Cowabunga: Jeff Rowley surfs Teahupoo in Hawaii. Cowabunga: Jeff Rowley surfs Teahupoo in Hawaii.

ERIN PEARSON
TORQUAY’S big wave surfer Jeff Rowley (pictured left) has plunged into the Australian and world big wave titles after conquering a 15-metre wave.
Rowley, 32, said the monster 50 foot wave was caught at a secret location off the Victorian coast.
Rowley said he’d been watching weather charts for months ahead of the climax for a chance to ride one of the “biggest waves ever” in Australia.
Rowley said getting to the wave at a secret spot way out to sea nicknamed Albatross, was “challenging”.
“When I’m flying down a massive wave, nothing else in the world matters. My senses are on overload and I’ll stop at nothing to be there.”
Last year’s largest waves surfed as part of the competitions were around 25 feet or seven metres, Rowley said.
Next up for the Surf Coast prodigy is tackling a wave of around 15 metres without the usual help of a jet ski tow-in, to raise money for his Charge for Charity Breast Cancer fundraiser.
More information on the fundraiser is at jeffrowley.com.