STEVE THORP’S HOLY GRAIL – THURSO EAST
“The peak was starting to rear up in front of me, sucking truckloads of water off the reef. The wind rushing up the face and accelerating as the burgeoning lip forced it skyward. The two opposing forces fighting each other, standing, the lip taller and taller as it gathered weight. My line was set. If timed right, my board would meet the throwing lip in the split second before it exploded back down into the flats, my clew would just scrape above the danger line – and I’d be fired out the front and into glory.
“A split second too late and I’d be in a reef-liquid lorry sandwich – an arctic artic – picking bits of carbon boom out my teeth and praying my legs weren’t about to be ripped off with one easy twist.
Story & Photos Steve Thorpe & Geoff Hautman
(This feature originally appeared in the August 2014 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)