Water Angle: Soli Bailey’s Magic Fijian Carpet Ride
Sometimes surfers just get on a roll, and that’s definitely what’s happening to Soli Bailey in 2024. So far the 29-year-old from Byron Bay has scored an epic (and undisclosed) sand-bottom point, solid Kirra, sketchy Shipstern Bluff, and of course, this internet-arresting session of 20-foot Cloudbreak caverns.
After some tough breaks on the Championship Tour and Challengers Series, Soli has successfully put his head down and forged his own path as a freesurfer, a path that conveniently leads to some of the most hollow waves on the planet.
Frame: Tim Bonython
None more so than this particular March day at a well-known Fijian reef pass. Riding an 8-foot Pyzel Paddilac that was going brown outside at Byron Bay surf shop, Soli slid into one of the standout waves on a standout day. It was an easy nod into the SURFER Big Wave Challenge.
We've already noted Soli's mind-bending barrel, but we had to take another look from this water angle shot by Tim Bonython. This wave is featured in Soli's new edit "Conehead" which will be released online later this fall. Don't miss it.
Just like Nathan Florence seemed to be everywhere in 2023, Soli is going all in for 2024.
Related: Watch: Big Wave Surfers Score XXL Dream Session at Cloudbreak
