Russel Bierke | Van Diemen's Land To The North Shore

Walking into the Tasmanian Colosseum and peering over the ledge.

After a stint on the sidelines nursing a dodgy ankle injured earlier this year doing punts at his home break (something that he has assured us he won't be doing again anytime soon), this is Russ's second trip back to chasing the nightmarish waves that live in his dreams. The Tasmanian slab, a chaotic beast, produced light winds, glassy faces, and only a handful of crew in the water. Days like this at the Bluff are few and far between, watch Russ in this clip make it count—stylish, effortless, and grinning ear to ear.

The vision made even sweeter on golden hour.

Russ's got his gear locked down, too— constantly travelling with new gear to trial for R&D, custom APEX cover, slab grips, and custom leashes. As Russ is sneaking a strike mission to the Bluff and heading into the chaos of Pipeline and Waimea, we think it is only wise to baptise the future of our surf accessories in these conditions.