Russell Bierke influenced by bodyboarders

“The fact that they can drop so late and so far down the wave is the way I like to go on the slabs because that's really the way to do it,” said the talented Australian.

October 9, 2025

Australian mad man, big rider and slab surfer Russell Bierke, winner of the most feared Cape Fear in history, said that bodyboarding has greatly affected the way he approaches his slab surfing.

Speaking to Common Thread Film, he said: “The waves I like to surf are heavy, shallow, and traditionally bodyboarding waves. So, a lot of the time, there are more bodyboarders out there in the pack, especially where I grew up on the South Coast, which is the bodyboarding capital of Australia.”

“I’ve definitely adapted a lot of their approach to my surfing. The fact that they can drop so late and so deep in the wave is how I like to ride slabs because that’s really the way to do it,” he added.