Russell Bierke Does it Again: Inside the Mind of the World’s Most Focused Slab Surfer

Can you be off your rocker and calmly calculated at the same time? Can you do it at a variety of the world’s most extreme waves, where the ocean is behaving in abnormal and violent ways? That’s essentially what Russell Bierke has done for the last few years at some of the biggest and consequential waves on the planet. 

The understated 28-year-old Australian isn’t one to embrace today’s algorithm-driven metrics. He’ll bag insane waves at Shipstern Bluff, Jaws, Mullaghmore and unnamed Australian slabs, then sit on them to create an artful longform surf video that questions one's perception one what's possible in heavy water. Which is exactly what brings us here today. 

His latest offering, Inner Mechanics, was directed and edited by Andrew Kaineder, Russell’s friend and longtime collaborator, who is responsible for putting together his career-defining edits: Bezerk,Flow State and Outer Edge of Leisure. While not as long as those previous videos, Inner Mechanics still has plenty of those signature hair-raising, heart-pounding moments that Russell is so adept at producing. Harry Bryant called it a "rock shorey horror movie." Unlike the other projects, however, Russell himself offers insight into his headspace when he’s seeking and surviving these heavy waters. 

Take the first wave of the video. It’s a colder, nastier and rockier version of XL Teahupo’o.“In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to go on that wave,” Russell chuckled. “But I feel like I would have been pretty pissed off if I let that wave go without having tried.”

Big-wave surfers and slab specialists alike often get branded as fearless. How else to explain their ability to turn and go on these things? But Russell has emotions just like everyone else. 

“You always have that fear in big waves,” he said.” I don’t think that ever goes away. It’s more getting comfortable and knowing how to deal with it, rather than letting the fear turn into panic. And fear is also why you do it. Conquering something within yourself, if you can get past that, that’s part of the reward, I guess.”

So he’s not without fear. But is he a loose unit? Not a chance. Instead of a wave-hungry adrenaline junkie, Russell is measured, thoughtful and intentional in his actions. He’s not going just to have a go. His preferred method is to wait for those truly special waves, the kind that make or break a surfer with a single move.

“There are certain waves that come in, you just know have a special feel to them,” he said. “Sometimes that means coming up with not much because I’ve spent the whole day waiting for that special one. Other times, it comes."

In some instances, it can be years between chances. And Russell tries his hardest to never miss his shot. “An insane swell can be years and years in the making. When a swell is that infrequent, and you know that’s the one opportunity you might have for the next couple of years, it helps you switch on. You know it’s now or never.”

If there's a sentiment that captures how committed Russell is to this stuff, it's the closer in the video. Watch it in full, and you'll see why the statement carries serious weight. "You don't know where the limit or peak is until you find it," he said. "I still feel like there's better waves to ride out there than what I've ridden, for sure."

Related: Slab Master Russell Bierke's New Film "Outer Edge Of Leisure" Is All The Way Out Of Hand