Watch: Nate Florence's Cloudbreak Bomb Deserves A Deeper Dive
On February 7, 2024, Nathan Florence and a cadre of the hardest charging big-wave surfers in the world descended on Tavarua and Namotu for a run of early-season swell that can only be described as flawless. Giant blue walls rifled down the Cloudbreak ledge, creating some of the most perfect, cartoonish surfscapes we’ve seen in some time. It was a good reminder of how good the wave at Cloudbreak is, as well as how comfortable Florence is in waves of unusual size and power.
An entry into the 2024 SURFER Big Wave Challenge, Florence would go on to call the session one of the best of his life. And as surfing goes, it’s often one wave that makes the session. Case in point, this absolute beast.
Taking a moment to look back while we wait for the next swell, those that have spent any time surfing the Fijian freight train know that even at six-foot the place can hammer you. When it starts pushing onto the outer edges of the reef it rapidly escalates to a much more serious game. Florence likes it that way.
Donning a fullsuit and flotation, Florence clearly knew exactly what he was getting himself into it—and relished it. Grabbing rail and dragging ass off the bottom, the comfort level is extraordinary. Leveraging a lifetime of Pipeline experience to set himself up for the wave of his life, as the energy moves to the business part of the reef Florence stands tall. Casual and completely comfortable, as the cliche goes, the barrel’s big enough to drive a bus through it.
Besides the wave’s utter perfection, what stands out is how second-nature the whole situation appears for Florence. Where most every other surfer out there would be praying to their own personal god that they make it to the shoulder before getting vaporized, he seems completely cool, calm and collected. The style says it all.
Hopefully Nate's antics in this clip offers up a little inspiration to get out there and chase the next round of swell and score the wave of your summer. Stay tuned for more Big Wave Challenge entries dropping weekly.
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