Ken Bradshaw Surfs the World's Biggest Wave

Vanity Fair has written a very interesting article about the day that a surfer road the world's largest wave. The wave was somewhere near 85 or 90 feet high and riding it was like jumping out something like a 10-story window.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/02/big-wave-surfer-201102

The surfer was Ken Bradshaw. The wave he rode was in Hawaii during the 1989 El Nino. Seriously, Dude, what's your sign?

Ken Bradshaw

b. Oct. 4, 1952
Sun 12 Libra; Moon Aries or Taurus; NN 19 Aquarius (source: Wikipedia)

When I saw the Oct. 1952 date I was curious to know if Bradshaw has a Sun-Neptune conjunction. Neptune rules the Ocean, and that would just be too pat. Turns out his chart is even better than that. Bradshaw has both planets in the same sign, Libra, but his Sun is actually in conjunction with Saturn in Libra. He has a stellium of four planets total in Libra: Sun 12 Libra (Vitality & Will); Saturn 18 Libra (control); Mercury 20 Libra (thinking); Neptune 22 Libra (Ocean). Saturn rules Boundaries and Neptune rules letting go of boundaries so, when combined, they often create some really interesting circumstances. Bradshaw's Sun stellium is trining his NN 19 Aquarius. And it is squaring his Uranus 19 Cancer.

The Uranian element seems as important here as the Water element. The article instructs us to think of waves not as water that is rolling but as "pulses of energy." The article explains some of the science involved in understanding how the waves will form. More speed, bigger size. Bradshaw's Uranian North Node is in conjunction with a stellium of planets in Aquarius on the day that he caught his big wave. These are trining his natal Libra stellium. Both charts have a Mercury-Neptune conjunction.

"Condition Black" Bradshaw rides biggest wave

Jan. 28, 1998 I used 11:30 am as time, actual ride probably occurred later. Bradshaw was out in the ocean between 10:30 am and 4:30 am that day. (source: V.F. article)

Sun 9 Aquarius; Moon 18 Aquarius; ASC (11:30 am) 29 Aries; MC 21 Capricorn; NN 13 Virgo

This was a New Moon with Sun conjunct Uranus to the degree.

(Amazingly, we just completed the New Moon in Aquarius which was in exact conjunction with Mars. Again, the world has again experienced Extreme Weather as the U.S. was caught in a record breaking Blizzard and Northern Australia has suffered a Category 5 cyclone, the worst possible kind with 186 mph winds. The Eclipses have a strong influence on the current problems. (The political upheaval that is occurring is explained very well by Mary Plumb over on the Mountain Astrologer blog.)

With anything this extreme we want to look at the planet which rules Daredevils. That's Mars. Impulse, Spark, Action, excitement.

Bradshaw is part of an elite set of surfers who rides large waves and he was scheduled to participate in a contest at North Shore on Oahu but, due to the extreme conditions of the waves, the contest was called off. Bradshaw went off to his favorite spot, "Outside Log Cabins," to surf with his friend who towed him out.

In the event chart, Mars is a singleton in Water in the event chart at 3 Pisces. Mars is also a singleton in Bradshaw's natal chart, as well as being in conjunction with the Galactic Center 25 Sagittarius. In the event chart, Mars rules the chart until just a little past 11:30 am. It is conjunct Jupiter (rules anything big) and squaring Pluto 8 Sagittarius (rules anything extreme, also rules Jupiter). Bradshaw's natal Mars is at 25 Sagittarius and is a singleton in mutable signs. It's also conjunct the Galactic Center and is trining Pluto 23 Leo and possibly in a Grand Fire Trine with the Moon. That shows that he has great strength and is willful and emotional, perhaps a loner, and is protected within these characteristics. The article explains how a friend of his was killed by a wave while they were out surfing.

Bradshaw's Moon can't be figured out without a birth time but it sure would be interesting to know. It is the lead planet of a locomotive chart. In a 12:00 pm natal chart it would be both moving fast and out of bounds. That would in very literal termes explain a dare devil surfer who can ride waves at very fast speeds.