CORNWALL’S WILDEST WAVE

WITH TOM BUTLER

Tom Butler is a big wave surfer. For the last ten years he’s ridden some of the largest waves in the world, but he’s been ignoring what’s in his backyard off Cornwall’s wild north coast.

Made for the BBC’s ‘Our Lives’ strand, Cornwall’s Wildest Wave is a beautiful celebration of Cornwall, during a winter of wild weather and extraordinary waves. But above all, an intimate character profile of Tom Butler, his love of the ocean, his soulfulness and an insight into what it means to be surfer.

“The ocean makes me feel really alive and in the moment. When you are in the waves you just forget about everything else that’s going on in your life and that’s really special for me. The focus it brings.” Tom Butler

THE ULTIMATE CORNISH MONSTER WAVE

A deadly reef two miles from St Ives, known as the Stones, could deliver Tom ‘the ultimate Cornish monster wave’. The challenge is, he needs wind and weather conditions to perfectly align.

Tom spends the winter waiting, but it doesn’t look good. As storm after storm batters the Cornish coast, his hopes of finding a monster wave look bleak.

Then finally, in February, his chance comes.  Tom heads back out to the Stones with a large safety team of paramedic, safety boat and back up jet skis. When they arrive it looks like the mission will fail although Tom remains optimistic. As the tide turns something undeniably magical happens.  An extraordinary wave forms and for just half an hour, there is an incredible Cornish ‘monster’ some 6m high.

BIG WAVE SURFER TOM BUTLER

Tom Butler is a world-famous big wave surfer who lives in Cornwall. He has surfed Portugal’s giant Nazaré wave, and competed in the Nazaré Challenge a number of times.  He is one of the top 20 big wave surfers in the world. Then, after a serious wipe out in Portugal, Tom was forced to take time out and so set up ‘Coastal Crusaders’ in Newquay, Cornwall.

“I set up Coastal Crusaders for people from a disadvantaged background who may have disabilities and illnesses and to teach them ocean skills. I wanted to do something to help people.” Tom Butler.

COASTAL CRUSADERS 

THE STONES REEF

The Stones Reef is a notorious reef, 2 miles off St Ives that has claimed the lives of many mariners. (not to be confused with the Severn Stones Reef)

“If all goes wrong we’re onto the coast guard. You’re onto the boat with the paramedic and then helicopter, winch, done, gone!  The issue with the Stones reef is the topography. There are lots of rocks sticking up, and lots of different rumours about underwater caves.” Ben Granata, Marine Safety Supervisor

THE STONES WAVE

To our knowledge the Stones has not been successfully surfed before. We know of one attempt to try to surf it which failed.  It is a ‘bomby’, or ‘bombora’ wave. Rare in the UK these are waves that break out to sea and are difficult to surf because of strong ocean currents. The wave is one of the largest ever surfed in Cornwall. It is a new but dangerous location, and can only be safely ridden by experts surfers with a professional safety team.

BBC Our Lives

From monster waves crashing onto the rugged Cornish coast, to the recovery of a magical underwater Forest off the Sussex shore. Click to to watch Our Sea Forest, narrated by Chris Packham.