Surfing: Cale grabs a 6m wave

Denmark surfer Cale Grigson is $5000 richer after taking out an award at the 2010-11 Surfing Life Oakley Big Wave Awards event in Sydney last Thursday.

The gutsy 31-year-old was captured riding a wave estimated to be more than 6m high during a blood-curdling session at notorious south coast slab The Right last October.

He was announced winner of the Biggest Slab award by contest judge Nick Carroll for images captured on camera during the session, dipping into a total prize pool of $35,000.

Maroubra-based big wave chaser Mark Mathews took top honours, pocketing $20,000 after winning the Biggest Wave Ridden category, becoming only the %second surfer to win the award twice.

The photos of his ride were taken at the same location on the same day as Grigson’s winning rides.

Both were captured by WA photographer Calum Macauley, who netted $3500 with Kerby Brown for their photographic efforts.

Grigson, who moved to Denmark when he was eight years old, said it was good someone from WA walked away with an award.

The former World Qualifying Series and Quicksilver Air Circuit competitor said the adrenalin rush of big wave surfing fuelled his desire for more.

“I used to compete but, I couldn’t get my head around it and couldn’t adjust to the scene,” he said.

“I just prefer to free surf and enjoy the rush – it’s pretty addictive.”

Grigson conceded he was so caught up in the moment last October it was hard to tell exactly how big the waves were.

However, he did say there was definitely a lot of water in them.

“You can see these big lumps coming in as you’re sitting there and you … froth out, look at your ski driver and ask him what he reckons,” he said.

“They are coming out of deep water and jack up heaps when they hit the granite, so it’s hard to gauge the size.”

Grigson’s mate, fellow Denmark surfer and tow partner Chris Shanahan, who led him into the south coast monster, was %also in the running for the awards.

They primarily recognise surfers who paddle or tow into the biggest waves in Australasian waters.

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