On one February day back '02 i recall the whole N shore being absoloutely huge and perfect with not a soul out at any of the breaks, it really was the biggest i've ever seen and i've been visiting for 30yrs! 25'-30' easy! We actually surfed El Cotillo that day (which from the clifftop looked a good size but nowhere near the size of the north track spots)....boy were we wrong! Just as myself and my mate had made it to the lineup the horizon went menacingly dark and we were soon scratching over gigantic pulses of swell the power of which was just incredible to feel, these were house sized waves and after paddling up and only just making it over 2 and a carreer best duckdive of the third i was getting low on energy but the biggest was next, i got halfway up this monster but realised i wasn't getting over so tried to duckdive into the face halfway up, i actually got through it to see my mate sitting grinning 30yds outside as i felt that terrible inexorable force start to pull me backwards.....over i go with this beast for the longest most violent rag dolling i had ever had! Just as you thought it was easing and about to be over it would rag you around again putting my body into some positions even the most advanced yogi would be amazed by! Incredibly my 6'10" was still intact as i let myself and it get washed inside and i eventually staggered up onto the sand and just lay there happy to be alive! Gotta ❤Fuerte!🐐🌊
