Session of the Season // Southern Hemisphere Autumn 2025 // When Wade Met Alfred
Looking back on our team riders’ sessions in the southern hemisphere from this past season, it’s hard to go past the first few days. When autumn arrived down there, it did so with a bang. Tropical Cyclone Alfred was a category 4 “Severe Tropical Cyclone” that had spent a couple of weeks strengthening and moving south down the North East coast of Australia, and unusually light winds in the upper atmosphere allowed it to track less than 300 miles away from the coast. Alfred sent persistent large sets towards the Gold Coast whilst the winds whipping around it appeared as strong offshores. There was a window of just a few days to get waves before Alfred made landfall (the first storm of this size to do so in over 50 years), with both Queensland and New South Wales declaring a State of Emergency in anticipation. And in that window it seemed as though every surfer in both states was at Kirra. Amongst them, and in prime position on a couple of absolute bombs, was C-Skins team rider Wade Carmichael with our regular Aussie lensman Swilly there to capture the action.
Date: Tuesday 4th March 2025
Swell height and period: 11ft @ 12 seconds
Wind direction and strength: 21mph SSW
Location: Kirra, QLD, Australia
Board: 6’4 Rusty Keg
Wetsuit: Nuwave Uv Skins Basics Mens Long Sleeve Vest
Can you tell us about this run of swell...
This swell was crazy. We had four days of cyclone swelling coming from the north, which is rare, and the wind was offshore the whole time because of where the cyclone was sitting off the coast. Kirra was lined up perfectly. The froth levels were so high! Everyone and their dog were there, though, and there were crowds of people on the groyne watching too. I put big 5 hour sessions every day, battling the crazy current to stay in position for when the good ones came though.
Talk us through the wave...
This particular wave was lined up so nice. When you get one at Kirra you’ve just gotta make the most of it. It’s the dreamiest wave ever. You don’t get many chances out at Kirra because when it’s on there’s always a big crowd and some of the best surfers in the world on it, so you’ve gotta make the most of it when you get into one.
