Surfing Hawaii

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Leonard Lueras. Surfing Hawaii

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The power of sheer power. A Waimea Bay shorebreak wave such as this one can easily buckle or snap a surfboard or person into equal parts of its original whole. Photo: Jason Childs

On a tamer note, Windmills on Maui can turn ocean power into a thing of beauty. Nice positioning beneath a mirror-glass curtain. Photo: Erik Aeder

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Winding up at Waimea

Waimea Bay is a beautiful crescent-shaped bay that on big swells holds what may be the premier big-wave right in the world. Under 15 feet, the wave here hugs the point and is known as Pinballs. When waves start hitting the 18-foot and up range, however, the activity shifts to the outside and true Waimea jumps into gear. The whole deal here is about making the drop and then escaping to the safety of the deep channel, a ploy that is way easier said than done. Waves hitting the outside boil can jack and lunge with great ferocity, creating a complex drop, one that can get even harder when it is being blasted by stiff trade winds. These mountainous entities have been known to form barrels big enough to drive a truck through. If all this wasn't enough, there is even a freak left that sometimes shoulders off the right (but which is not recommended), and which has so far only been attempted and made by two all-around wave maniacs, Shawn Briley and Marvin Foster. Waimea comfortably holds swells up to the 25-foot range and sometimes bigger. At this height, the Bay reaches its capacity and may start closing out. The crowds that clog the lineup definitely make surfing here even more dangerous than it should be, and, as some Waimea vets say, have killed the mythical magic of the place.

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