ICYMI, there’s been loads of swell activity on Australia’s east coast.
First up, ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred brought all-time tubes to the famed Superbank, lighting up Kirra for an all-star cast of pro surfing greats, for days on end. In its wake, however, it destroyed the sand bank, and forced the World Surf League to move its upcoming Championship Tour stop, the Gold Coast Pro, to nearby Burleigh Heads.
Then, another pulse created perhaps the biggest wave ever ridden at Bondi Beach, courtesy of local lifeguard, 23-year-old Chase Hardaker. And that same swell ignited Sydney’s premier and aptly-named slab, Deadman’s, for one of those hero sessions that only go down ever so rarely. We’ve seen some successful rides, some cinematic wipeouts from said session – but this next, and final, video recap of that day is all dedicated to the latter. Here’s the worst wipeouts from Deadman’s.
Per video creator, Thrills and Spillz:
“The final chapter of Deadman’s Rising brings nothing but chaos. No makes, no glory — just pure carnage. This edit is a non-stop reel of brutal wipeouts, heavy slams, and surfers getting sent by one of Australia’s gnarliest slabs: Deadmans.
“Filmed across the April 1st & 2nd 2025 sessions, The Finale is all about the moments that didn’t make the highlight reel... until now. Hold your breath and brace yourself — this is wipeout mayhem in its rawest form.
“If you’ve followed the chaos through Chapters 1 & 2, this is the final piece — the raw, unfiltered end to a legendary swell. Big respect to every surfer who went over the ledge and paid the price.”
Related: Surfer Goes Airborne in Heavy Wipeout at Mutant Slab (Video)
Still, the craziest wipeout – at least from a visual perspective – came from Max McGuigan, who was on high-line screamer, then got pitched over the handlebars, and sent flying. However, McGuigan did get some good ones amidst the chaos as well. Here’s his account:
“When I saw the forecast, Deadies wasn’t really in the picture yet. There were a few spots down south that we were sussing out. Everyone was a little far out. It had that high tide and it kinda snuck under everyone else. I was last priority and got pretty lucky. I swung last minute, took the drop, came around that little step…I tried to bum drag, get a little bit deeper, but I was just going way too fast. It eventually pinched at the end, so I had to go a little bit higher. Then pulled off the wave, and heard the cliff going mad. It was pretty unreal.”
