One Shot to Blow

You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo - Eminem

The Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach was a hell-bent drama, with incredible wipe-outs like this (eina!), huge barrels, close-out sets and almost hands-free left hand tube rides. Obviously the person doing the freaky stuff on the lefts would be one other than Kelly Slater, who always finds the opportunities to do something bizarre in any conditions here.

When the waves get that sort of big (20-foot faces) we can always expect some crazy stuff do go down, with the best surfers in the world gathered at one of the most serious waves in the world. Dane Reynolds was looking good, Slater was charging, SeaBass had flashes of brilliance and title defender Adam Melling was looking flash.   

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We had our own legend however, with young Umhlanga local Beyrick De Vries standing up to be counted on what was without a doubt the biggest barrel of the event and one of the best barrels ever seen at Sunset.

Beyrick had to keep Koa Smith off the last set, so he had no choice but to go on this feathering monster on the outside, that turned into a gaping cave of a barrel from which he exited cleanly and tore into two more carves. A 10-pointer was guaranteed.

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Eventually the event was won by Ezekial Lau (Haw) from Damien Hobgood (USA), Raoni Monteiro (Bra) and Frederico Morais (PRT).

Beyrick's 10 point wave at Sunset was something sublime - great technique and perfect positioning but most of all absolute commitment from the dodgy takeoff to the deepest of tubes to the pure carves at the end. - Shaun Tomson

However, it was young South African Beyrick De Vries who forged a professional surfing career out of his performance, standing up and doing what needed to be done when it counted.

One person who was watching closely was Shaun Tomson, the last South African to win the Sunset event back in 1977.

“Beyrick's 10 point wave at Sunset was something sublime - great technique and perfect positioning but most of all absolute commitment from the dodgy takeoff to the deepest of tubes to the pure carves at the end,” Tomson told Wavescape from Sunset Beach.

“Maybe this wave will change his life, maybe not.  Whatever he does with the moment, when he stalled for the tube and consciously or unconsciously made the decision to put his life on the line for the win, he showed himself he's got what it takes to be a champion.”

Or in the less eloquent but equally effective words of Marshall Mathers, “Opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo.”