Surfabout’s Special Coverage: Bare Island Bares Its Teeth
By Frank Morris (“John Morris-Thorne”)
History As It Was Reported. People, Places & Events. From Surfabout, 1962. John Morris-Thorne is the editor.
Massive seas, the biggest recorded in eight years, pounded Sydney’s coastline.
At Bare Island, especially mountainous sea swells pitched from the ocean depths and explod ed resoundingly against the reef.
Bare Island is a stretch of treacherous water near La Perouse recognised by local fishermen as the most dangerous bombora in the Sydney area. So far it has claimed over twelve lives.
Here is how I reported the scene.
The reef 300 yards off shore was a mass of boiling surf as mountainous swells, peaking to an estimated 25 ft., peeled off left and right at the speed of an express train.
Many of the bystanders shook their heads in astonishment as it seemed well nigh impossible to handle monsters such as these.
Big-sea rider Scott Dillon was the first to untie his big gun board then Tony Burgess, but two out in these conditions was inadvisable, until two pint-size juniors, Chocko Ferrier and Karl Saw, offered to act as pick-ups in case of emergency.
“The Method”
Launching their boards from the rocks to the rear of the island the small group paddled out wide gingerly approaching the critical zone.
Adopting the correct method in big seas at a strange place the group watched several sets roll through before moving in closer to the take-off point.
 A small set of about 18 ft. reared up behind the reef and Scott Dillon moved off on the first heavy ridden at Bare Island. Tony Burgess followed suit on the next set and the spell was broken.
Gradually moving in closer on each wave the boys felt more at home as their gun boards continued to escape the curl.
Unfortunately, the wind which at first was blowing off shore had turned in-shore forcing the peak surf to break too quickly thus preventing the boys getting right into the bin.
Unparalleled speed
Following directions from the many onlookers on the cliffs, including a dozen aborigines, the riders scampered to sea as some of the biggest sets of the day marched in through the Heads.
Words of advice could be heard shouted across the water as the boys endeavoured to escape the impending wipeout as the huge ominous sets standing in black lines moved in nearer.
The unparalleled speed of the gun board enabled them to make it over the top of the first two sets with ease.
Chocko Ferrier on his slower dog-board brought the crowd to its feet as he climbed in seeming slow motion up the face of the biggest wave of the day-clearly 30 ft. plus-to escape possible destruction by mere inches.
The excitement grew tense as the gun boards, caught wide of the box seat, battled for position as the third set  thundered up, Scott Dillon on his back hand took off right on a wave comparable with any seen at Waimea Bay.
The fourth set saw Tony Burgess in trouble as the wave sucked hollow at the take-off. The wave collapsed and Tony’s board quivered as if to break then catapulted skyward saving it from being carved up on a 15 ft. cliff break of bare rock.
Tony, however, was safely picked up, but it took over thirty minutes to retrieve his board which had drifted towards the oil tankers berthed 600 yards away.
This was a splendid effort by these four surfers. But once thing is for sure: Bare Island is no places for the beginner.
* * *
Shark attack: new technique that identifies the culprits
Adapted by Frank Morris
 Hit and run attacks can be solved with a new technique that identifies the culprits by the unique chomp they put on their victims, according to a University of Florida researcher and shark expert. In a method analogous to analysing human fingerprints, scientists can make identifications by precisely comparing shark bites to the jaws and teeth of the powerful predators, said George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File, which is housed Florida Museum of Natural History. “Every time we investigate a shark attack one of the pieces of information that we want to have is what species was involved and what size it was. Because I’ve been looking at shark attack victims for 30 years I can estimate what did the damage, but I have never been able to actually prove it.” Now scientists can say with a degree of certainty whether the beast was a 14-foot tiger shark or a 9-foot bull shark, a distinction that has unforseen emotional, ecological and even monetary benefits, said Burgess, who collaborated with researchers from the University of South Florida. Their findings are published in the November issue of Marine Biology. (Full story, Pacific Longboarder or info@pacificlongboarder.com )
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