Russell is twenty-four years old, diminutive and old world, with a tight mouth and very plain-face that have the ferocity of an angry cuckold, a cranky Italian denied his lunchtime siesta.
The deceptively fragile looking Australian big-wave surfer Russell Bierke commands such a reputation he needs very little introduction, although a little background never hurts, does it?
Russell is twenty-four years old, diminutive and old world, with a tight mouth and very plain-face that have the ferocity of an angry cuckold, a cranky Italian denied his lunchtime siesta.
He is the son of the noted Californian-born shaper Kirk Bierke whose boards are sold under the label KB Surf and made in Ulladulla, three hours south of Sydney.
Russell’s earliest memories are of watching his dad run out the door whenever the surf was big, going to the beach and seeing him ride these big, blue-water reef waves, and wanting to be part of the game.
In January this year, as much of Australia’s east coast was raked by a powerful south swell, Russ was dragged along the bottom of a fav reef and a hole was cut near his arm’s brachial artery, the limb’s flexor muscle exposed.
In 2017, he was “blue as a Smurf” and “on all fours spewing” after a wipeout in fifteen waves in Victoria, an injury that put him in intensive care.
The last six months have been relatively blood free.
This video, which premiered yesterday, will be of interest to any jury looking for evidence of who might be Australia’s best big-wave surfer.
