Russell Bierke has this year ticked off a list of achievements in his surfing career that most other 16 year old’s dream of while they sit dreaming as their maths teacher explains Pythagoras. He still attends high school in Ulladulla, on the NSW South Coast but has an extra curricular schedule that includes hunting down 10 foot plus waves.

Tim first met Russell as a 13 year old at BL’s Blast Off. It was held at Palm Beach NSW and the waves were about 6-8 foot, a massive challenge for all the kids but Russ stood out, he just had no fear, surfing big waves was something he had in his blood.  His father, Kirk has been part of the big wave scene in Hawaii for years. Their family now live in Ulladulla and its one of the best places on the East Coast of Australia for big wave surfing.

Tim travels to Ulladulla regularly chasing the big swells he says “I’ve been shooting Russell down south since I saw him surf the first time at BL’s Blast Off, shooting him at Depot and a few other surf spots down south. He is highly respected by the local guys, they see the potential in him as well.”

“Russell’s career is progressing at such a fast pace.” Tim goes on “He came to ‘Ours’ with us earlier this year where he mixed it up with the locals and stood his ground (Click to view clip). When we saw the swell coming into South Australia I gave him a call knowing he’d be suitable to have on the trip with the 2 of world’s biggest surfers Kelly Slater and Alex Gray.”

Russell had been to SA surfing  before so he knew what he was in for. Tim says “He’s 16, I had to have total confidence in his ability to throw him into some pretty rugged conditions. Russ is so natural and talented in big wave conditions I was confident he had the ability to take on these waves, I knew these waves are world class and dangerous and he was up to it. I also figured having a 16 year old kid and world champions was going to be a good chemistry.”

Tim Says “Russell has got the potential to be Australia’s best big wave surfer and there is a market developing very quickly with the sport jumping from strength to strength each year.” He says “I can see big wave surfers getting the same money as the WCT surfers within ten years.” Tim says. That’s got to be exciting for Russell.

We had a chat with him about his trip to the wild south with Tim and surfing’s top shelf crew and his perspective on the big wave surfing world.

Tim Bonython Productions: You are 16, there are a lot of 16 year old’s out there scared of your normal size wave on a trip to the beach in summer… How did you get into the big wave business so young?
Russell Bierke: My dad, Kirk, had been surfing big waves and shaping big wave boards in Hawaii for years before I was born. Growing up, surfing big waves has just been a normal thing for me to do.

TBP: Do you remember your first ‘big wave’?
RB: When I was 12 years old, dad and I went on a surf trip to Victoria. The first morning we surfed Bells which was solid 10-12 foot, dad tried to paddle out from the Bluff but got washed straight in. So we both walked to the next beach over and paddled out inside a bombie where it was sheltered from the swell, we then paddled about 1.5 kms around the headland. That surf is what got me hooked on the rush of big waves.

“when you’re at the top of a wave, you have no idea
whether it’s going to be the wave of your life or if
it’s going to give you the beating of your life.”

– Russell Bierke –

TBP: You traveled with Tim and KELLY SLATER (SAY WHAT!?) and big wave surfer Alex Grey to a secret spot in South OZ, tell us how that went down?
RB: Tim gave me a call and asked if I could get down to South Oz for a swell. When he said Kelly was going to be there it didn’t really sink in, I thought he probably won’t turn up or if I’m lucky I’ll get a surf with him. We pulled up to the house we were staying in and it was so surreal to see three people I’ve looked up to all my life; Kelly Slater, Alex Gray and Ryan Hipwood sitting on the couch. The next morning we were driving to a spot that none of us had been to, which no one exactly knew the location of. We somehow ended up in the right spot and got some big, heavy waves all afternoon.

TBP: Any tips or general awesomeness you picked up from the big K himself on the trip?
RB: Kelly ended up calling me into the best barrel I’ve ever had, which is something I’ll remember forever. He’s always pointing out sick set ups that no one else notices and just frothing all the time.

TBP: Big wave surfing is picking up momentum world wide, where do you see it in 10 years?
RB: Hopefully big wave surfing will have a lot more funding behind it in the next 10 years. It’s one of the most exciting sports to watch, even someone who’s never surfed in their life can watch big wave surfing and enjoy it. I can only see it becoming more popular.

TBP: What has been the biggest wave of your career? and how did it feel?
RB: The biggest wave I caught was at an Outer Reef in Hawaii when I was 13 years old. It was just my dad, Jamie Sterling and two other friends out. Most waves had 30 foot faces and I was so scared but I knew I had to catch one in or else I’d have a long, hard paddle in. A huge wave came to me and I just turned around and paddled as hard as I could. After the drop I was racing across the face for a few hundred meters before the wave closed out where I straightened out and took 15 feet of whitewash on the head.

TBP: Have you had any massive wipe-outs yet? if so how bad and where?
RB: The worst wipe-out I’ve ever had was surfing another Outer Reef in Hawaii, I pulled into 12 footer and it didn’t let me out of it. There were 4 or 5 waves after it that I had to take and when I made it to shore I crawled up the beach and lay on the sand until dad came in.

TBP: Who do you look up to in the Big Wave world?
RB: There’s so many people to look up to I couldn’t name them all, but a few of the guys who really stand out to me are Shane Dorian, Mark Healy, Kohl Christensen, Nathan Fletcher, the Long brothers, Mark Matthews, Dean Bowen, Marti Paradisis, Brett Burcher, Paul Morgan and everyone else who pushes what’s possible in big, heavy waves.

TBP: Have you been to the ASMF before? what do you think about it?
RB: I go to see ASMF every year. It’s an amazing film experience unlike any other I’ve seen. It has the best footage from the biggest and most dangerous waves around the world.

TBP: The audience of the Australian Surf Movie Festival love the super big wave experience on the big screen, can you describe to them how it feels to take the drop … what goes through your mind?
RB: A lot of times the drop is the hardest and scariest part of a big wave. It takes so much commitment to turn around and paddle for a big waves, knowing that there’s no turning back after your feet hit the wax. Then most exciting part is that when you’re at the top of a wave, you have no idea whether it’s going to be the wave of your life or if it’s going to give you the beating of your life.

——

The AMAYSIM Australian Surf Movie Festival presented by GoPro is touring
Australia in January and February 2014. For dates, tour info and to book
your tickets to Australia’s favourite surfing night out click here.

To watch the official trailer click here

Written by Sally Mac