Seminal surf writer begs important question, “Is Snapper Rocks the earthly manifestation of Dante’s Purgatory?”

"The similarities are uncanny. The hopelessness, the wage of sins, the punishment, the agony and the ecstasy."

Compare this classic piece of art depicting the lamentations of hell with a typical day at Snapper Rocks.

Purgs.
Mikey Wright At Snapper. Photo: Andy Shield

The similarities are uncanny. The hopelessness, the wage of sins, the punishment, the agony and the ecstasy.

Could Snapper rocks be a Holy site? It certainly has the pedigree.

The history of bloodshed, the worship of the Holy Immaculate sands of the Goldie, the mythology of its saints (Think Saint Michael… Peterson that is), the trial by fire and the price one must pay for absolution and re-birth.

In compelling new evidence of this theory, regard the two images above.

And let us examine the revelations and parallels of this classic art depiction of the Biblical lamentations.

Center top: The man in control, the man in the tube. The man who by all rights has the power. In this case…God. (Or Mikey Wright, same thing).

Bottom right: A tortured soul attempting to get to his feet despite ruining everything for everyone, while ignoring the screaming banshee above him who has already dropped in on the rightful rider and is trying in vain to call the new offender off the wave. Collision imminent.

Bottom left: A sinner and his MF softtop, obliviously out of his league, having mistimed his brutal drop in and now facing a trip over the falls, ruining the ride for all concerned. Collision imminent.

Middle: The lamentations of all who have missed their chance, hands on foreheads or noses buried in their wax. Images of excruciating hopelessness and loss.

Top Left: And finally, gracefully walking on water, forgiven and lovely, is Saint Stephanie (Gilmore that is) rising above the greed, the avarice, the humiliation and the shame. The angelic local, taking her rightful place at the right hand of the tube.

May God smite the man who would ever drop in on her.

Oh, Snapper Rocks, forgive us our trespasses as we never forgive those who trespass against us.

Let us prey…and that is not a misspelling.

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Pauly Matt War-Shore
Pauly Matt War-Shore
4 years ago

I know what boys like, I know what guys want.

Barrelled
Barrelled
4 years ago

At least you didn’t give yourself credit for creating the wave. Very humble of you.

Stick man
Stick man
4 years ago

those clouds doin 69…

Jordy's pout
Jordy's pout
4 years ago

I sat next to a delightful woman on a local flight this week, and I reluctantly mentioned surfing because of the context of what we were discussing. Her surfing benchmark was having watched In God’s Hands, which allowed for a pivot to educate her about what a laughable self indulgent cliche that movie is. And how whenever Matt George writes an article on my favorite “surf tabloid for old grumps” we’re all able to set aside our differences and rally around how much of tool he is.

I’m not gonna read this shit.

Tommy Barrell
Tommy Barrell
4 years ago
Reply to  Jordy's pout

I was gonna read this shit, but then I got high…. then I paddled out and got tubed.

Hippy
Hippy
4 years ago

Has any “profession” struggled so hard to acclimate as the surf print media hasn’t to the blog age?

astro
astro
4 years ago

I hope you’re not paying this drongo, Derek.
Youre crazy if you are.
Oh and fuck Staffy. Time to hang it up, dearie.

Stanislav Franck
Stanislav Franck
4 years ago

Fuck me, why do all the “serious” surf writers insist on writing such overblown, embarrassing hyperbole? Yeah, Snapper’s crowded. No shit. So is The Pass. It’s what happens when you have a high quality wave with a piss easy entry point.

Russia/Ukraine. Kiddy fiddlers. Scott Morrison. Woke warriors/cancel culture. China/human rights. These are examples of humanity’s fetid decline into hell.

Going for a surf at Snapper? Fuck. Please. Spare me.

AI (for ever) .
AI (for ever) .
4 years ago

Just got out, it’s a weird south swell and very, very fat walls.
The water is putrid as all the sewerage treatment plants have been over flowing for the last 48 hours.

The crowd was same old. Cast of thousands.

Stanislav Franck
Stanislav Franck
4 years ago

Yeah I live at Tweed Heads when I’m home in Oz and surf Snapper pretty much every day when I’m home. From behind the rock, to little marley, rainbow, greenmount, cooly beach to Kirra, if you can’t get a few waves and a few decent turns in across that stretch then fuck me, you got no right complaining and whining.

Tommy Barrell
Tommy Barrell
4 years ago

Yeah, I saw you out there. You wouldn’t have seen me though – I was too deep….

Pauly Matt War-Shore
Pauly Matt War-Shore
4 years ago
Hippy
Hippy
4 years ago

dude

Ron Milk Williams
Ron Milk Williams
4 years ago

I dropped in on god here once – was forgiven

@surfads
@surfads
4 years ago

I reckon this would be pretty edgy content for somewhere like surfertoday.com

Derek Hynd's Missing Fins
Derek Hynd's Missing Fins
4 years ago

No. Reading shit by Matt George is.

Occ Topus
Occ Topus
4 years ago

…or damned close to it, anyway.

Luckily, I just got home from a sweet surf session. Even hurr durr from Matt George can’t tarnish the glow.

Nads On Yer Madre
Nads On Yer Madre
4 years ago

Who let this Nodger in again, I thought lessons had been learned? Unless the very real purgatory of a Matt George article is being cleverly self parodied here in a circular hell-like manner. Dribble anywhich way, few rings below ol Chas


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