Advertisement

Surfer snaps leg at Sydney’s Bronte beach in horror wipeout; bone penetrates wetsuit; wild drone footage of rescue!

A little light Sunday action… 

On a real pretty Sunday morn, three-to-five-feet of south-east swell, combed into a dazzling pompadour by the baby breath of a three-knot offshore, a surfer has been karate chopped by the lip, leg snapped.

Our boy with the bird in the sky at Bronte beach there in Sydney’s east, Roy Gruenpeter, says the shredder was hunting a barrel, got a little out of position and was subsequently creased.

Another witness says the man’s busted femur penetrated the rubber of his wetsuit.

A wild bank at the north end of the beach was doin’ a slab impersonation, something pretty rare round these parts.

Because the city is shuttered, max lockdown here in Sydney, the beach was as busy as a summer’s morn, citizens enjoying the last vestiges of what might loosely be called freedom, every one clawing at their hour of allotted exercise per day.

And, so, bird in the sky, lifeguards, plenty of people in the water to help and so on.

Surfer snaps leg in epic Sydney surf at Bronte; wild drone footage of rescue!
0 0 votes
Article Rating

Commented on Disqus? Log out, tap the Disqus button, and your old name and comments come back. The box is ours.

Join the discussion

Your comments are still here. Every one of them.

Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.

Unclaimed
Handle
Comments
Posting since

Connect Disqus to reveal.

Subscribe
Notify of
36 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
DavidC

I grew up at Bronte/Tama, you learn very quickly, in no particular order, about rocks, rips & picking sand out of your ass! In an odd sought of twist I used to be most anxious surfing big days at my home break than anywhere else!

James Bickerton

Thanks Dane
Here is my man BREL

James Bickerton

I am not complaining …after 15 years of Seedy 70s 80s Sydney I did 20 years in South West France from 92 to 2012
Only Change is Permanent ……..

bob

Unrelated but young Aussie guy staying at Lances Right in Katiet has gone missing, another spear fishing accident. Martin Daly has started a gofundme to help find him.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/…

James Bickerton

Basically all of Swell Sydney turned its back on living at the beach from 1970 to the mid 90s ….I blame overseas tourists , for the f#ken urban sea change , who couldn’t believe the Sydney Seaside was not exploited to its full potential ….I remember coming back from France in 92 and the only restaurant with a street front terrace in Sydney was at the Cross
…..Sadly Gone forever those dirty , dirt cheap , dens of deals , drugs and debauchery and there tight knitted surf communities ……when Super Seedy Sydney Surf Suburbs ruled the Surfing World …..

Stick man

Dronevid 19. The Lookdown.

bob

You’re consistently punny.

Waterproof Polo

Compounded by documentation. These are the lives of our days.

Hot stuff

They can listen to us on our phones, youd think that’d be enuff, but no,

AI (for ever) .

Is his board ok?

James Bickerton

This beach , although highly gentrified , actually faces East and cops more swell than any other beach , on the 90km Sydney Stretch . I once went over the falls at the reef at the south end during a team titles in the 80s and got absolutely pounded …. I also got to surf against Tom Carroll at the other end of the beach and got flogged ….again .

Antipodes

It definitely can be fun and packs a punch. But it’s a fickle beast and can be riven by wonk and backwash. I’ve had some fun waves there, but I’ve also had absolute floggings on a lot of lurchy random close outs.

James Bickerton

And the flags in summer , not to mention trying to find a parking spot …..
I only ever surfed it in a few contests and would not even think about surfing there now

AI (for ever) .

Did he drop in?
Nobody really ever surfs with Tom Carroll unless he dropped in !

James Bickerton

I have had the honour to be dropped in by Tom at his peak ( but not at his Newport Peak ) during the 80s at Narrabeen and Elouera …. but unfortunately not at Bronte because it was in a tag team heat and he wasn’t allowed to .
This was standard behavior in the 80s and one of Cronulla’s most talented Goofies , once told me “ Bicko , as soon as you make it to the top of the heap , for fuck sake , drop in on everybody ! Because you can …. “ .

bob

haha, he lives by that mantra these days.

ricmatic

I was thrashed out there so badly, thought it was over, joint punches above its weight class

Hot stuff

They’re knocking down Selinas as we speak.
Good times
Sweet pussy

ricmatic

Really? Had some good times in there

Hot stuff

Super leg spreader event.

AI (for ever) .

I bet no one wore a mask or did social distance.

So eastern suburbs

Hot stuff

Yeah, the Uber rich know it’s a con.

Waterproof Polo

They’re on the right (correct) email lists.

Hot stuff

You can’t rely on the ABC, 9,7,10,that’s for sure.
What a bunch of drama queens

Return of the Samsung Board

Have you been watching Kiwi tv

Hot stuff

Strictly youtube conspiracy facts.

@surfads

Ouch. Jeez it’s been pumping.

The Bitchy Crab

Newy festooned in Christmas lights?

@surfads

Hissing and spitting like a 3am bar fight. Three days in a row.

Seas Nail

Lockdowns and an hour of exercise per day, is this Australia in the early 1800’s we’re talking about here?

The Bitchy Crab

If it were, our one hour would be supplemented by a pint of rum, some light sodomy and ten lashes

Seas Nail

Well Kings Cross is just up the road is it not?

James Bickerton

You could possibly just stroll around to Tamarama ….

Hot stuff

The jab hasn’t dulled your flame?

James Bickerton

A century later in the early 1900s ……one wasn’t even supppoed to enter the water in the daylight hours …..The powers that be , fearing surfing , in its most basic form , might keep the people out of the factory and church …..
Of course they were right ….the surfers that is .

Eventually , surfers would protest , and even got dressed up as women to ridicule the bathing laws which required swimmers to be covered from neck to knee ….

Not to mention surfing being almost banned in the 50 / 60s in the great split with the clubbies and the introduction of surfboards ( like cars ) requiring a rego sticker

Jimmy the Saint

Up to your old tricks again Derek?


36
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x