Freesurf / March 2023 / Eddie Aikau

Luke Shepardson Photo Christa Funk

Photo: Brian Bielmann

No one surfer has shown more inspired determination, talent and verve in massive surf than Billy Kemper. Shown here, knee brace and all, Kemper is absolutely sending it on one of the biggest sets of the entire Eddie Aikau event. Although Billy was unsuccessful getting down the face of this monster, his energy and go-for-it attitude in this moment will be etched in the hearts and minds of surfers for decades to come. Photo Mike Latronic

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Jamie Mitchell bottom, Ian Walsh middle top, Grant "Twiggy" Baker. Duck diving

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30 Eddie Aikau Invitational

68 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout

98 Jake Maki

EDITOR'S NOTE

By Mike Latronic

Part of the attraction to surfing and the surfing lifestyle is the ocean and surrounding scenery. Coastal views, cresting waves and green and blue hues are pleasing to the eye as well as the spirit and being near saltwater is said to help produce serotonin and melatonin which helps humans deal with stress and promotes better sleep. On any normal day there’s a list of reasons to appreciate the sea and those who play upon it. For nature lovers there’s an endless array of amazing things to see on a daily basis. Sports fans can admire the graceful dexterity, physical challenge, stamina, timing and strength required to ride waves adequately. And if you are simply an enthusiast or spectator, you get treated to a visual feast - witness to humans as they literally dance on water.

The visual and energetic experience of The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational on Sunday, January 22 of this year was no normal day. An extremely strong, clean and consistent swell marched into the Hawaiian Islands and into Waimea Bay, producing what may well be the most compelling and historic surfing event of all time. Having witnessed upwards of 45 Hawaiian winters, I can personally say it was the biggest, cleanest, best day at Waimea Bay I have ever seen. With tens of thousands of fans encircling the relatively small bay and forty of the world's top watermen and women in the water absolutely “sending it,” this event was indeed the “Superbowl of Surfing.” Some say it will go down in the history books. And that's exactly what you might consider this issue of Freesurf Magazine to be. It's certainly a collector’s edition. The images and moments in the water were unparalleled and with insights from the athletes, the Aikau family, the water safety people and the eventual winner you can get a nice dose of storied information as vivid imagery.

When you take into consideration the energetic and historical significance of Waimea Bay, the spectacle that just happened there last month takes a spiritual translation more so than any other surfing event ever.

Also included in this edition are other key event spectacles including Da Hui Backdoor Shootout, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and the Billabong Pro Pipeline. With winter swells booming intermittently through the past month or so, the events scored powerful conditions for the athletes to test their mettle in. In fact, one or two of the days in the Backdoor Shootout were some of the largest waves ever seen in a Pipeline competition!

The performances were stellar. The drama was real and the stories were legendary. Clear the coffee table and enjoy this special issue thoroughly!

LUKE SHEPARDSON

Never before had the world seen such a consistent big swell focused so perfectly at Waimea Bay - not for any free surfing day nor any event day. Sunday January 22, 2023 is a big wave surfing date that will go down in the history books. It was a day the surfing world once again celebrated fallen hero Eddie Aikau and with nearly 50,000 people crowding the North Shore of O’ahu to watch the action, it was literally just another day of work for 27 year old lifeguard, and eventual winner, Luke Shepardson.

You have been on some of the biggest bombs of the year the past few years. Why do you do it?

I do it because I love it. I love the thrill. The adrenaline rush is one of the best feelings in the world. I do pay attention and I know my limits and I know when I can push my limits when there is the proper safety around. I wouldn't say I'm comfortable because when you think you're comfortable, Mother Nature will slap you down and show you that you're very small in the ocean. Just always be aware of your surroundings and that's the one thing I love about the ocean is it makes you be in the present moment. You're not thinking of 10 seconds ago. It makes you focus on what you have to do to survive. The most alive you feel is when you're so close to death and when you make it back to shore safely, it's a great feeling.

What is it that you think compels some surfers to test those limits?

Um, I don't know. It's kind of human nature to see what your body can handle and explore the limits of possibility. ‘Cuz I mean like 50 years ago they're pushing the limits at Waimea and evolution is everyone just keeps pushing their limits to find what is possible. It’s curiosity and the thrill of the unknown.

How did you feel when you found out you were invited to this prestigious event?

The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational is like the pinnacle of surfing. I think it's like the biggest, most prestigious contest there is. I was invited for the first time and it was just mindblowing. It has been the biggest dream of my life to surf in it. The opening ceremony gives me the chills every time. The chants and the pule they do and all the history that they explain about is awesome and then being out in the water, you definitely feel the mana of the place and the energy and all that's around it. It's a really humbling thing to be a part of.

When I grabbed my jersey for the first heat, I started crying. I was like, it's really happening. It's a dream come true. And then winning the thing is beyond my wildest imagination.

The surf was massive with offshore wind and consistent 4050’ sets. What was going through your mind?

I wasn't thinking of winning at all (laughs). I was just thinking of going out and having fun and surfing Waimea with only seven other guys in the water. It was a lot of fun and to be out there with so many legends, it's like, it was really, really cool. I was just tickled.

Photo Mike Latronic

Interview & photos by Mike Latronic

That morning traffic was so bad, I barely got to the tower in time to be ready for work and it was super busy. Having to compete and work on the same day kind of kept my mind off of the contest. I was more focused on what was going on with the spectators, trying to keep people safe, keep everyone back.

Let's talk about the ocean that day. People were calling it the best ever.

I would say that was the most consistent closeouts that I've ever seen at Waimea but also with beautiful shape to the waves. The offshore winds and everything came together magically to make such a beautiful day. I think I couldn't have asked for a better combination of everything.

In both my heats we got out into the lineup and I was surrounded by legends and I was just like, ‘Thanks! I’m super stoked to share a heat with you guys.’ and everyone was super stoked and there were really good vibes in the water.

How was it trying to line up with those monster sets!?

I have my lineup I was sitting on and then everyone was way deeper than me. I was like, ‘Oh, I hope I don't look bad, like sitting on the shoulder. I hope it doesn't look weird from the beach.’ But this is my lineup that I always sit in and I know the waves that I'm looking for and where I like to be so that I can make the waves. And I was like, okay, I'm just gonna do me and do what I do.

You absolutely charged some of the biggest waves ever ridden at Waimea. What goes through your mind after dancing with those monsters?

I was very grateful. The waves came to me and then in one of my heats I was sitting on my lineup and like about 10 feet away from me a huge turtle popped up. I was kind of by myself, away from the crowd. It just looked at me for about 10 seconds and then it went under and bailed. And then I got the chills from that. I was like, whoa. That was something.

You caught two or three of the heaviest sets of the day so how were you feeling about that before they announced the results?

Before my second heat, because it was the last heat of the day, I knew I had two good scores and then a couple people told me I had a good chance to win this thing. People told me, ‘Go

get one really, really good wave and you'll be the champion!’ I was just like, whoa, like don't put too much pressure on me! (laughs) But then, yeah, I got out for my second heat and I was sitting in the lineup on my mark and a minute or two into the heat a beautiful wave came to me. I whipped it around to go and Mikey Red yelled me into it and it felt like one of the best waves I've ever had. Seeing the clip later, it doesn't look like too much of an airdrop, but it felt like it was an airdrop and then a huge explosion. When I came out of the explosion, I was thinking that was a really good wave. So I claimed it and then just got cartwheeled right afterwards. (laughs) I wasn't paying attention but I was thinking that might be it. That might be what I needed. And then went back out the back and I was just super stoked and I was like, like I've competed in an Eddie. I was just tripping out. And then another wave came and I just had a nice chip into it. I was able to ride it and kick out and that one felt like a good one too.

If you had to put it in a nutshell, what should any surfer know about Waimea Bay?

Really get to know your limits. Just because it looks like a drop and people are going straight, it doesn't mean it's simple. The crowd when it's the 10 to 15 foot size is very, very, very dangerous. People are out there kind of not knowing where their lineups are and not knowing what to do and they get caught and then there's all the boards and that craziness, which is really, really scary. Then when it does get the 15 to 20 foot size, the ledge is really gnarly. If you're out there on a big day and you're trying to get a small one, probably best to not be out there at all. Try to stay out of people's way and not be a hazard.

Is there anything else you want to say?

I would just like to thank the whole Eddie Aikau Foundation and the whole Aikau ohana for putting on such a magical event and continuing the legacy of Eddie. Thanks to all the fans and the supporters that came down to watch and thank you to everybody that helped me get to where I am. Thank you to my family and friends for all the support. To my co-workers and boss, thanks for the leave time for the heats. And a huge thank you to the Hawaiian Water Patrol for doing what they do. They are guardian angels. Their ocean knowledge and knowledge of how to use a jet ski and get in and out of crazy situations and rescue people is just special. I'm so thankful for them.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT.

jae wood, jesse rapp, keanu d. silva, noah centeio

And the result?

Yeah, when they called all eight of us up onto the stage. I was like, well, I'm at the top. That's crazy. And then they announced a bunch of placings getting down closer to the end, and then it was me and John John. I was like, whoa. And then I don't even know how to describe it. I was so stoked. I just started crying.

Do you think perhaps Eddie’s mana was sending you good energy, lifeguard to lifeguard?

I don't know if it was if he was sending me the waves or whatnot for being another lifeguard, but, um, he was a real life superhero and what he did is amazing. To even be close to follow in his footsteps is really humbling and it's really cool.

If Eddie was lifeguarding that day and there was no contest, would Eddie have closed the Bay to surfing?

I didn't know him personally, but I'm sure he would've been out there riding the waves. Eddie would go .

2007

By Mike Latronic

Luke Shepardson. Photo Brian Bielmann

Taking the past 50 years into consideration, Waimea Bay has stood as the undisputed focal point of big wave surfing. Hands down, it had been THE spot for most of big wave surfing's recorded history. Taking the past decade into view, the story changes. Surfers and surfing enthusiasts have been introduced to a fresh variety of chills, thrills and spills at all kinds of frightening and relatively new locations like Teauhupo’o, Jaws, Shipsterns, Nazare and various outer reefs world over. However in recent years big wave riding has evolved to epic new standards. Improvements to equipment have played a major role but another big factor is access to more monster waves with the introduction and utilization of jet ski watercraft. Where making one epic, monstrous drop at Waimea used to be the gauge for heavy bravado, nowadays we are seeing 40-50’ tubes, giant carves and even aerial antics at several of the “other” spots. Waimea Bay, though formidable, has been challenged and no longer holds the exclusive pass card to big wave beastliness.

John John Florence. Photo Mike Latronic

After THIS Eddie event that debate has come full circle. Waimea Bay’s status as an apex big wave location has been redeemed if not forever, and again, cemented into the very definition of a big wave surfing venue. Every set of waves that steamed in at Waimea Bay that day carried at least one or more actual “rogue” waves. Forty of the world's most elite big wave riders took to the sea to ride these beasts and consistently tested themselves in 3050’ waves all day long.

Now, while it's true that Waimea can no longer take the solo title of absolute ruler anymore, it has certainly re-established itself as a proud and formidable chieftain of all that represents monster wave riding.

Zeke Lau. Photo Mitch McEwen

On Sunday January 22, 2023 this whole debate refocused. Waimea Bay showed its teeth with a big, bright, whitewashing smile, reminding any doubters that while “The Bay” isn't the only game in town anymore when it comes to big wave pursuits it is still the “Superbowl of Surfing.”

The spectators and fans made their case known and the fact that the event honors fallen hero Eddie Aikau further makes the day a very special one to the world and the Hawai’ian people. There were an estimated 50,000 people flocking to the area to catch a physical glimpse of the iconic event and the night before was a scene like “Surfing's Burning Man,” with hundreds of small campsites and thousands parking along the coast as close as they could to sleep in their vehicles or makeshift shelters.

Seven years had elapsed since John Florence won the last event and it's so accurate that sage, respected waterman George Downing stated, “The Bay Calls the Day.” Special weather and ocean conditions must line up to orchestrate such a spectacle and after several years of not running (and even a close call that got canceled earlier this year), Clyde Aikau and the forecasters nailed it.

Expectations were that the surf would reach 25 to 30 feet, Hawai'i-scale, which in actuality measures about 50 to 60 linear feet. The conditions met the forecast and then some. Forty of the most elite big wave specialists were invited, including a handful of female chargers. Top names like John Florence, Billy Kemper, Grant Twiggy Baker, Kai Lenny, Ian Walsh, Peter Mel and Ezekiel Lau mixed it up with locals and foreign invitees like Landon McNamara, Luke Shepardson, Ramon Navarro, Kealii Mamala, and Jake Maki to name just a few. Maki was absolutely charging and as a new invitee, stood as the youngest surfer in the pack at just 19 years old. Huge sets crashed against the shoreline cliffs, making the earth rattle all day long while the crowd cheered and cringed audibly as the gladiators battled their watery dragons. The energy was incessant. The shaking earth, thick salt spray and cheering crowd kept adrenaline at a high. The waves themselves were as terrifying as they were majestic. There’s really nothing in the world like this event in honor of Eddie Aikau, and no other place like the arena called Waimea Bay. The swell focused in historic fashion and the athletes stepped up impressively. Massive props to Hawaiian Water Patrol and the rescue and safety efforts of the Honolulu Lifeguards. What they do to serve and protect the athletes is nothing short of amazing.

In the end, it was local hero and North Shore lifeguard Luke Shepardson who took the top spot over past winner John Florence.

2023 The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational Results

1. Luke Shepardson

2. John John Florence

3. Mark Healey

4. Billy Kemper

5. Kai Lenny

6. Zeke Lau

7. Landon Mcnamara

8. Keali'i Mamala

Michael Ho.

Photo Mike Latronic

Luke Shepardson. Photo Brent Bielmann

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Zeke Lau

CLYDE AIKAU

By Mike Latronic

Freesurf had the honor of catching up with Clyde Aikau, legendary waterman in his own right, and younger brother of heroic big wave surfer Eddie Aikau. Clyde and Eddie took heavily to surfing as teens and excelled in powerful conditions. After winning the Makaha International Surfing Championship, Clyde went on to become the first Native Hawaiian surfer to win the prestigious Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship in 1973. His brother, a career lifeguard and expert waterman, lost his life at sea in 1978 during a recreation of the Hōkūleʻa, Polynesian sailing expedition. The boat and crew were adrift at sea and Eddie, who saved more than 500 souls throughout his lifeguarding career, heroically took a surfboard and attempted to paddle to Lānaʻi for help. He was never seen again. In commemoration, The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational was born. Clyde would go on to win the first held Quiksilver Eddie Aikau Big Wave Contest held at Waimea Bay in 1986 and in the nearly 35 years since its inception, the event has run only ten times. Clyde placed in the top ten of several, and surfed in all nine leading up to this year’s magnificent event. Clyde was gracious enough to share some words and thoughts on the event.

The Bay Calls the Day

Here's the bottom line. When you have the world's best forecasters that really aren’t on the same page, it makes it very difficult. One major forecaster was calling at 12-to-15', the other forecaster calling it 20'. Trying to forecast the waves before it comes, it's very difficult. There's no forecaster in the world that can guarantee that the waves are going to be 20' on a specific day so forecasting for this event is very, very difficult but what I did is try to grab everybody's forecasting and continue to stay close to the big wave riders who travel all over the world chasing the big waves, and their forecasting is solid also. In the end all the forecasters had made a call of about 20-25’, maybe 30’, and we ended up with 100' waves at five o'clock on that day.

It’s On

I was front and center throughout the whole process. Me and Ha’a, my son, camped out with thousands of people, but obviously you couldn't sleep that night. Through the night I heard the shore break get louder and louder and louder and at the break of dawn me and my crew went up to the scaffolds to get the confirmation of the sets. At 7:00am there still wasn't a major set yet but you could already see that it was coming because the buoys were as solid. I felt very comfortable that the sets were going to come. And sure enough, at around 7:15am, we had a 25' set coming in from the horizon, and the event was called on.

Photos Brian Bielmann

Feel the Mana Wao Akua

The waves were just humongous and came in bigger than any forecast. It wasn't so much the waves or the or the win by Luke, what was even more, so-called “chicken skin” for the family and I was the mana and the spirit and the vibration that flowed from Waimea cane field, that flowed from Waimea Falls, that flowed from Waimea Park down to Waimea Bay. My family is tied into the ancestral manager who took care of Waimea Bay a hundred years ago, determined by the last king of Hawai'i. So fast forward a hundred years later, Eddie becomes the first lifeguard saving thousands of lives and on that day of the event the spirit and the mana of Waimea came and touched 20,000 people. That was really, really, mind boggling for me.

To those who Would Go and those who Would Not.

A lot of credit needs to go out to every single contestant who paddled out. Just paddling out past the shore break is a feat. For me, myself, for over 40 years, the shore break has always beaten up Uncle Clyde, but just to paddle out that day everybody should be proud. If anybody didn't want to ride that day, it was okay. It was okay because there is no shame in understanding your abilities. When the waves are 50’ and bigger, not going out is okay, but the guys who went out, we got to give them a lot of credit, especially the ladies. I mean, I got to give Keala (Kennelly) and everybody else super high respect.

Mahalo

We scored it on the mark. I think the call was tremendous. The day was tremendous. We're just happy and thankful to the mayor of Honolulu and the governor of Hawai'i and the people of Hawai'i for their backing of The Eddie and loving what Eddie's legacy is all about. Thank you.

Clyde Aikau. Photo Mike Latronic

Aaron Gold

Photo Mike Latronic

HERE’S A FEW LITTLE KNOWN TIDBITS ABOUT EDDIE AND THE EVENT

By Kaea Latronic

˃ The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational is so named for native Hawaiian lifeguard, and champion big wave surfer… which is why it is so momentous for a lifeguard to win again.

˃ Born to a family descended from Hewahewa, the kahana nui or high priest of King Kamehameha I & II, he was son of Solomon and Henrietta Aikau, younger brother to Myra and older brother to Clyde.

˃ His Hawaiian name Makuahanai, has meanings ranging from “the main stalk of a plant, progenitor”, “person who cares for another” to “become established or permanent”.

˃ Eddie Aikau was the first ever lifeguard hired by City and County of Honolulu for the North Shore- and appointed to all beaches between Sunset and Waimea.

˃ He was 1971’s Lifeguard of the Year. Not one person drowned while he was on duty. ʻAʻohe kānalua ka mākua hānai!

˃ In 1978 Aikau disappeared between Molokaʻi and Lāna’i, attempting to paddle to Lāna’i on a surfboard to rescue his canoe mates on the Hōkūle’a after capsizing. The rest of the crew was rescued but Edward Ryon Makuhanai Aikau was never found.

˃ In the 39 years since its conception, a scant nine ocean swells flaunted qualifying conditions for the contest format we know today. That’s about once every four and a half years.

˃ As our editor-in-chief can attest as an invitee, the first honorary Aikau contest was held at Sunset Beach in six-to-eight-foot conditions. At the age of twenty-four, Denton Miyamura took the title against the local likes of Michael Ho, Duane Webster, Derek Doerner, Hans Hedemann, and Marvin Foster who took second. He competed fiercely, with what had been described as a mixture of assault and grace. The contest was then reworked and relocated, a makeover led by another legend George Downing.

˃ Not only was Waimea Bay Eddie’s proclaimed favorite spot, he prevented over five hundred souls from having been reaped there.

˃ The second invitational event held-yet first event in memory of his brother at their ancestral custodial land, Waimea Bay- in ‘85/‘86 Clyde Aikau competed. After an awe-inspiring wave riders’ duel between him and Mark Foo, a draw was declared and the tie-break was his; riding a decadeold board belonging to Eddie. Clyde competed for the final time in 2016.

˃ 2018 invited females for the first time, but was canceled- that invitee was called back this year- Keala Kennelly.

˃ Purportedly, the last life saved by Aikau was TV producer John Orland on 2-28-87.

WAIMEA

(RED WATER)

By Kaea Latronic

Divine forces are certainly at work at Waimea Bay. Hawaiians refer to this as “mana.” Mana is multi-faceted, as are many words in the Hawaiian language but for simplicity let’s focus on a foundational view of the water flows from mauka to makai or Mountain to ocean. Here we look at the vascularity through Ahupua’a Waimea and the powerful historical landmarks that surround it.

Ionic vibrations emanating from the wai (fresh water), funneled through the blood,tear, and rain-soaked valley, are fed by Kamananui and Kawiko‘ele streams, where wailele o Waihe’e, the Falls, we are familiar with, crashes down and births muliwai Waimea, a river that irrigates Ahupua’a Waimea. Boasting an almost 14 mi² watershed, muliwai Waimea is 24.4 mi long including the tributaries that give life to the threatened lo’i or taro patches. Bordered by the Mo'okini Luakini Heiau in Pūpūkea, Keanaloa on Hale'iwa-side, to the Kaluahole ridge opposite; from Kalakoi to Kalaku stones, the energy of the wai traverses the hallowed and hair-raising Hale Iwi, or house of bones; passing a fishermen’s ko‘a, or shrine, called Ku‘una; and near the entrance to the valley, Makahiki god Lono’s temple, Hale o Lono: a concentrated suspension of power flowing from the three major heiau, or sacred temples, to the ocean.

Ahupua’a, traditional Hawaiian division of land and sea, the mountain to ocean that is Waimea and Pūpūkea was given in perpetuity by Kamehameha I to his Kahuna Nui, head priest, of the Papa Kahuna class, Hewahewa. The Aikau family are direct descendants of this Kahuna Nui Hewahewa. Sadly, he was last to preside over the valley heiau. Subsequently it was ruled by other kahuna nui, high priests such as Kaopulupulu who built new, chill-inducing sacrificial heiau for their ali’i nui. At the time it was cruel chief Kahahana who commissioned a birds’ nest from which to spot war from Kauai. Too low on the horizon for his liking, Pu‘u o Makahua was erected. Continuing past this chilling Pu‘u o Mahuka heiau, babbling down towards failure Kūpolopolo heiau, the tributaries extend toward the southwestern side of the Bay where at water’s edge, there is a second lawai‘a or fishermen’s ko‘a: Ke Ahu Hapu‘u.

So considering that mauka to makai, encompassing this end of shoreline to ūaumana muliwai Waimea, where fresh water finally meets salt water, the triangulation of mana oscillates. It’s worth mentioning that here at ūaumana muliwai Waimea ancient Hawaiians played in the river sandbars, riding the waves up and down the river mouth. When all is taken into account: point A to B traced, mana from the ūūina, land; mo‘okū‘auhau, genealogy; as well as the akamai loa‘a, learned honed skills- one can only imagine what awesome mana the Aikau brothers bring to the equation, converging at these events where people are gathered to take part in the maka‘ala (sight/spectacle).

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

By Rebecca Parsons

Onthe morning of the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, Luke Shepardson was faced with a dilemma. He had been invited to participate in the contest, one of his lifelong dreams, but he also had work that day. A North Shore lifeguard, Shepardson was scheduled to work at Waimea Bay but received the okay from his boss to paddle out for his heats during his break. And so the 27-year-old donned a jersey, surfed fifty-foot waves, and returned to his post on the beach to guard lives. And although Shepardson doesn’t have a board covered in stickers nor was he previously regarded as one of the best big wave surfers in the world, he certainly is now. Not only did Shepardson compete in the Eddie - he won. We couldn’t have come up with a better Cinderella story if we had composed it ourselves.

Shepardson grew up on O'ahu and like many North Shore kids, he learned to surf when he was young, riding waves alongside his dad. He always dreamt of becoming a professional surfer but if that didn’t pan out, his plan was to become a lifeguard.

In many ways, Shepardson’s life mirrors Eddie’s. He’s a talented surfer and a committed lifeguard, putting his life on the line to ensure the safety of others. It seemed only fitting that the self-effacing surfer from the North Shore would take home the win. Plus, he scored 89.1 out of a possible 90 points. We caught up with Shepardson once everything had a chance to sink in.

How did you become a lifeguard in Hawai'i?

When I was younger my aspirations were to be a pro surfer and then growing up here on the North Shore, you're kind of immersed in the scene because it's kind of where everybody comes to every winter. I tried [pro surfing] for a while and then I kind of realized it’s not who I am. That's not what I'm chasing, but I do love surfing. It's my passion. Seeing the lifeguards on the North Shore, how they help people and they get to be on the beach, it's a great lifestyle and when I realized pro surfing's not really for me, lifeguarding was it. I love to help people, so it was an easy option and I love what I do and am glad to do it.

You must see some pretty interesting and dramatic stuff? What do you see as the most common issue in watching out for people’s safety?

(Laughs) I don't know how to try to put this as nicely as possible. (Pauses) Common sense isn't so common in the world. A lot of the things that we see on a daily basis as lifeguards are quite shocking things - like tourists and parents of little kids just going into very, very dangerous places. I don't know if they're clueless or just not paying attention or what, but they're often going towards the most dangerous place possible. We try to stop it as best we can, but it is very crowded here on the North Shore. But we try to do a good job. My advice is if there's a lifeguard at the beach, always check in with them first. If you're not from here or you're not used to the ocean, check in with the lifeguards. That way they can identify the danger zones for you. They'll tell you a safer place to go if it's not safe that day. Look at the warning signs. All too often everyone just walks right by 'em and doesn't really pay attention to 'em. The warning signs are there for a reason. If there is caution tape up, do not go past the caution tape. It’s there for a reason.

You were actually scheduled to work at Waimea Bay that day but it sounds like your boss was very cool and you were able to take intermittent “time off” to surf the event? Actually, I didn't plan it, but I was just scheduled to work there at the bay. I was put there. So I was super grateful for that. Then so that I didn't get in trouble with the logistics of working and doing the contests, I was using my own leave, my own vacation time. But yeah, I was just working and then surfing. It just made it feel like any other kind of big day that I worked there. I work and then take my break to surf and enjoy my time off of my hour off of work and then back to the tower doing what I do. (smiles) Yeah, it was just all in the day's work.

Photo Brent Bielmann

C7C LIFEGUARDS AND THE HAWAI‘I WATER PATROL

By Mike Latronic

Honolulu City and County lifeguards in Hawai’i are perhaps the most elite and well-versed ocean safety professionals on the planet. Commuting to work in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, these men and women “go to the office” knowing that life or death may well be on the line on the most average of work days.

Beyond “average” the Hawaiian Water Patrol is an uber-select team of ocean experts who specialize in jet ski assisted water rescues and safety. While the C&C lifeguard is a hired public employee, these operators at the Hawaiian Water Patrol are basically the Navy Seals of watermen for hire. Both the State lifeguards and the Hawaiian Water Patrol deserve enormous accolades and a huge thanks for their expertise at this monstrous surfing event. Freesurf was fortunate enough to catch up to Pomai Hoapili, one of the expert drivers on the HWP squad.

Pomai Hoapili

On the morning of The Eddie in the dark, we're already looking at what we got to work with for the ocean conditions. What we noticed early was the current. I don't know if you could really see it in some of the footage that people had because everyone's looking at the waves on the outside. But right along the shoreline, just feet from dry sand was this insane rip current that was pulling from Haleūiwa side towards Sunset and it was kind of like smashing up against the rocks. And so we had this heavy current from left to right and then we had shore break and we had closeouts waves on the outside.

Everyone knows Waimea for the big waves on the outside reef but what nobody really likes to talk about is the shorebreak. The shorebreak is horrendous and huge. That day there were 12-footers, three feet off the sand. Not to mention that a jet ski works well when it's full of water, but when there's bubbles and sand, your jet skis are not working so hot. So there's a lot of cavitation going on. Our jet skis aren't working at full power all in all that foam. So, what we noticed right off the bat was that our safety zone on the inside, which is usually quite large, was really small that day. It went from maybe a soccer field rectangle that we usually get to play with in there to like

a critical triangle sitting next to a rock. We could only spend a few minutes there so it was critical to get the shore break dance down. You could see us when we're moving in to wave people on [to the ski], but we couldn't go straight to the sand and pick 'em up all nice, like how we do at Pipe; it was like ‘got to move in-and-out quickly, make decisions fast. We had to leave people behind once or twice, you know, they're getting drilled, but once we all get past the shorebreak it's way easier than going the whole way out [to the lineup] on their own.

It was heavy, a lot of foam, a lot of sand. I think we lost two jet skis somewhere in the mix…like, somewhere in the blender. There is just so much going on that sometimes, the only option was to beach the ski. I came up a few times where there was

Photo Brian Bielmann

no option to turn around and get back to the safety zone... especially right in front of the tower at Waimea, that's a heavy, heavy spot. So, usually if you get stuck right there and you can't get back to the church-side corner, then, you just gotta beach it.

I think at one point there were twelve skis in the water. There are definitely some rules, like: when you operate with more jet skis you don't want them pointing at each other. You want your skis pointing in the opposite direction from each other. A couple times sets came in almost constantly… like every few minutes it looked like every big set was almost gonna be a closeout. And that kept happening for a good six hours. Like is this the biggest one? Like no, no. Oh is this the biggest one? Like every wave that came past 12-o'clock was like, oh that's gotta be the biggest wave I have ever seen at the Bay. But then the next hour would be like whoa! that's gotta be the biggest wave seen today! And for the next hour you’re in awe, like whoa, it can't get bigger than this. And then we were at the point where Luke (the winner) catches his winning wave. It's like Luke's taking off almost in the middle of the Bay and where Luke took off is absolutely nowhere near where everyone was sitting.

After every set it was like a reset on the gameplay cuz things were changing faster than we even knew how to deal with. We had everything happen. We had jet skis die, we had sleds ripped off jet skis. One of our guys broke his nose on his jet ski handle. We had another guy lacerate his head. There were a bunch of things going on out there that kind of weren't really getting talked about on the radio but we were dealing with them. And so through all of that (laughs) it was kind of like every 20 minutes everybody kind of had to regroup and discuss what are we gonna do? This happened, should we fix it? What's going on? We gotta re-tie it, we gotta take this ski.

And there's all kinds of problem solving going on but I think Uncle Brian put it the best way as like, you're almost like a risk technician. You gotta constantly weigh out how much percentage is it possible to do whatever you gotta do and what's gonna be the outcome and if it's even worth it. So there's a lot of times where you make a decision and you're laying down your cards and then it doesn't work out for you. So you gotta

figure out in that time like what's my options? I can only do this and I gotta go for that. So it's like a constant weigh-out of risk versus reward and for the most part it works out but in the end sometimes you gotta pay to play and it's either blood or oil so we'll gotta figure it out when it happens.

Those kinds of days you almost can't even prepare all the way. You prepare as much as you can. You get your gear in as top shape as you can. Obviously, we're always trying to stay in the best shape as possible, mentally and physically, and then the rest is kind of like there's a small percentage that's kind of left out there to the unknown. Besides all that, I think we did pretty good that day and I think the competitors, I think we give them the ability to perform at their highest possible performance level. You know, I think that this is personal too. Like if I was there surfing on a free surf with no jet skis in the water, I think that you probably wouldn't send it as hard as if there's somebody just waiting for you there to be like go ahead, send it as hard as you can. I'll scoop you up in whatever shape you're in but we'll get you back. I think that being there gives that extra confidence to like really send it and guys are sending it super hard. Like that's some of the biggest Bay I've seen and that's some of the heaviest wipeouts I've ever seen and some of the heaviest rides I've ever seen. So, it's a pretty spectacular event coming from all angles.

When those big closeouts come there's a point in time where you have to make a choice and so you're either going to choose to go out or choose to go in. Whether that's the right choice or not is yet to be played out. So, a couple of those closeouts I didn't want to turn around and go in just because I don't really want to be ending up on the sand. So, I was one of the skis that like looked like a little speck of dust flicking off the top of the wave, but I just had it in my mind that I'm not going to turn around and go to the sand just because I know that we don't really have enough ready manpower on the sand to deal with all of us.

/ Spine Surgery

“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.” - Karen Blixen

Ali H. Mesiwala, MD, FAANS Board Certified Neurological

WOMEN MAKE THEIR DEBUT AT THE EDDIE

By Rebecca Parsons

For the first time in its 39-year history, women paddled out alongside the men at the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. The contest was founded in 1984, in honor of surfer and North Shore lifeguard Eddie Aikau, and is an invitational-only event. In 2017, Keala Kennelly became the first woman to ever be invited to the Eddie, but the contest ultimately didn’t end up running. Fast forward to 2023 and six women were invited: Emily Erickson, Keala Kennelly, Andrea Moller, Paige Alms, Justine Dupont, and Makani Adric. In addition to the six invitees, six women were included on the alternate list as well.

When the women hit the beach the day of the Eddie, the spectators went wild, excitedly cheering the women on as they suited up. The inclusion of women in the event was a huge step towards equality in women’s surfing and a chance to prove that the women were every bit as capable as the men when it came to taming giants. The women were mixed in heats with the men, with one woman in each heat. Andrea Moller was in the first heat and when she dropped into her first wave, she made history by becoming the first woman to ever participate in the Eddie.

“Goosebumps just to be the first woman to surf a wave out there,” Moller told KHON2. “I think it just really brings back all the efforts that us women surfers put out there. To be recognized, to prove that it’s possible that we’re athletes, we want to do this. We have the passion for big wave surfing just like the guys do.”

Keala Kennelly, a former CT surfer and big wave surfer from Kauai, has been at the forefront of the fight for equality for years. She fought for equal pay and inclusion in more events and her efforts paid off in a big way at the Eddie.

“It was super emotional,” says Kennelly of seeing women at the event for the first time. “As a little kid, our biggest hero of all was Eddie and we knew that anyone who surfed in and won the

Justine Dupont Photo Brian Bielmann

Emi Erickson and Josh Moniz. Photo Brian Bielmann

ChromaPop lens technology delivers enhanced color, clarity and definition.

Eddie went to instant hero status. I remember thinking that I wanted to be a hero like that, but it wasn’t possible because they didn’t have women in the Eddie.”

This year, Kennelly’s childhood dream came true as she surfed alongside the men at the Eddie. While many criticized the fact that the women were mixed into heats with the men, Kennelly was a fan of the format.

“I think being mixed in with the men helped us push ourselves because we could watch and see what they were doing, where they were taking off, the waves they were making, the waves they were not making,” says Kennelly. “When I used to charge big waves when I was younger, it was usually me out there as the only woman with all the men, so it reminded me of that.”

While Kennelly liked surfing alongside the men, she’s hopeful the event will have a separate leaderboard for the women in the future. Although none of the women placed in the top ten, they all went out and caught waves, proving that they were fully qualified to compete in the Eddie.

“It was the biggest Waimea ever,” says Kennelly. “It was challenging conditions, it was a bit bumpy, and it was hard to make the drops, and every single one of those women went out there and charged. I couldn’t be prouder of all of them.”

“The Eddie was an amazing experience to be a part of,” adds French big wave charger Justine Dupont. “It was a huge honor, and I am really thankful to the Aikau family and everybody that made it happen. I will remember that day my whole life.”

Keala Kennelly. Photos Brian Bielmann

APERTURE

This year’s Eddie Aikau champion Luke Shepardson made no excuses for taking a spot in the line up that day that was farther out and farther on the shoulder than most of the other athletes.

While other competitors may have been better aligned to get mid-sized bombs on the ledge, Shepardson’s choice gave him favorable positioning for the biggest monsters feathering just outside the ledge. Looks like that decision boded well for the North Shore lifeguard.

Photo Mitch McEwen

While Landon McNamara has had a solid reputation in waves of consequence all over the North Shore, he is an artist and opted for some very large canvas space time after time at the Eddie.

Photo Mike Latronic

Mark Healey is indeed the definition of a well-rounded waterman. He certainly does not fall into the “normal” category. Healey has trained and prepared all of his whole life to be on not-so-normal waves like this and did well to perform solidly on more than a few giant bombs.

Photo Brian Bielmann

Maui’s Kai Lenny has ticked pretty much all the big boxes when it comes to challenging, charging and surviving the ominous, dangerous and awesome arena at Jaws on Maui. While Kai did not win this year's Eddie, Kai was looking solid and motivated. You can bet that making the stage at 5th was a welcome step in the right direction toward bringing that solid reputation to O’ahu

Photo Mike Latronic

Keali’i Mamala has been a solid performer in the big wave scene for decades. Longtime tow partner with legendary Garrett McNamara Mamala has seen his fair share of giant walls and surfs with a beautiful, elegant and authentically Hawaiian style. Whether its massive walls at Nazare, surfing waves formed by glacial shedding, or any of the waves of consequence in Hawaii Keali’i holds his own with the world's best.

Photo Mike Latronic

HISTORY OF WAIMEA BAY

By Alexandra Kahn

Waimea Bay on the north shore of Oʻahu is perhaps the most iconic big wave destination in the surfing world. It is also a significant historical location. Waimea Valley was once referred to as “Valley of the Priests” and Waimea originally meant “sacred waters.” This area is an ahupuaʻa where thousands of Native Hawaiians once lived and flourished.

Waimea Bay was also the first place on Oʻahu where foreigners made contact with Native Hawaiians. In 1779 when Captain Cook’s ships “Discovery” and “Resolution” left the Island of Hawaiʻi and traveled to Oʻahu, they anchored in the sheltered bay to restock their water supply from the river. In the 1800s, Waimea gained popularity as a source of sandalwood, but the supply was short-lived. There was significant damage from the harvest, and the soil erosion that followed heavy rains caused Waimea to take on the new meaning, “reddish water.”

• By the late 1800s, a series of powerful floods devastated the fertile valley and its residents, depositing silt at the base of the river and allowing sands to collect and stabilize. Around the same time, foreigners were granted the right to own property.

• By 1929, Waimea was privately owned and operated as a ranch and farm.

• In the mid-1950s, industrial sand mining began, enabling the construction of Waikiki’s beaches, (including Ala Moana and Magic Island). More than 200,000 tons of sand were removed from the bay, making it significantly deeper.

For years the waves at Waimea Bay had been considered too dangerous to be surfed, but by the late 1950s, an attempt was made. Over time, sand continued to be removed, and the big wave potential in the bay only increased.

In 1967, Eddie Aikau was hired to be the first official lifeguard at Waimea Bay. His daring rescues and his perfect track record of saves made him a hero, while his surfing skills made him a legend. The saying “Eddie Would Go” originated from his days as a Waimea Bay lifeguard and followed him until the end of his life. This saying is still a mantra today that many repeat in times of fear or trepidation. His courage, willpower, and dedication has become a beacon of inspiration to all who know his story.

From the 1970s through the 1990s, Waimea Bay became known as the ultimate exhibition wave for big wave surfers to strut their stuff. In 1987, the first “Eddie” event ran and Eddie’s brother Clyde was pronounced the winner. The event has only run in subsequent years when the waves surpass 20 feet and the winds are favorable. Because of the conditions required, the event has only run nine times.

While Waimea Valley is considered to be one of Oʻahu’s top tourist destinations, it is also a place of education and events, recreation, a sacred place for kānaka, and a home to multiple heiau (places of worship) and other significant cultural sites.

Each year, the same river that brought foreigners to these shores all those years ago reaches its maximum capacity of water it can hold. Surfers and enthusiasts join together to aid in the process of freeing the water by digging a channel to connect the river to the bay and to try their hand at surfing the famed stationary wave.

In the early 2000s, Waimea Valley was acquired for public use by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), the State, the County, the U.S. Army, and the Trust for Public lands. It was placed under the governanc of OHA, who established Hiʻipaka LLC., the nonprofit that continues to preside over the valley today. Waimea Bay is also a part of a Marine Life Conservation District stewarded by Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea.

Billy Kemper, 2019.

Photo Shanon Reporting

Kelly Slater, 2016.

Photo Keoki

Paige Alms, Raquel Heckert, Andrea Moller, Keala Kennelly, Bianca Valenti, 2019.

Photo Shannon Reporting

Past Eddie Aikau Winners

1986: Denton Miyamura

1987: Clyde Aikau

1989: Keone Downing

1998: Ross Clarke-Jones

1999: Noah Johnson

2000: Kelly Slater

2004: Bruce Irons

2009: Greg Long

2016: John John Florence

2023: Luke Shepardson

Michael Ho. Photo Tony Heff

John John Florence

Photo Keoki

2016. Photo Mike Latronic

Photo Keoki

By Rebecca Parsons

The North Shore of O'ahu has a storied history of surf contests. Each winter, the world’s best surfers flock to ‘The Gathering Place’ to surf and compete along the Seven Mile Miracle. In the early 1990s, North Shore surfer Eddie Rothman noticed a lack of local Hawaiians in many of the contests. So he set out to create a contest for the local people.

“We noticed sometimes that there would be no local guys,” says Rothman. “The best guys in the world weren’t out in the water, they were sitting on the beach watching. There was no place for these guys that were born and raised in Hawai’i, so we came up with the Shootout so the locals would have a chance to shine too.”

Benji Brand

Photo Christa Funk

Ivan Florence

Photo Brent Bielmann

Joey Johnston

Photo Mike Latronic

Koa Smith

Photo Brent Bielmann

Makana Pang

Photo Brian Bielmann

Rothman got to work, seeking the necessary government approval and permits to launch the contest. He fought tooth and nail, went to court, and negotiated with the local community to get the contest approved. After an uphill battle, the contest got clearance to run and the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout made its debut at Pipeline in 1996. Rothman worked water safety, alongside Terry Ahue, Kawika Stant, and Tony “Squiddy” Sanchez.

The Shootout is put on by the Hui O He'e Nalu, a non-profit organization that “educates, coordinates, preserves, and provides assistance to facilitate the advancement of Hawaiian activities and culture.” The contest is in memory of Duke Kahanamoku, a Native Hawaiian who is regarded as the father of modern surfing.

The Backdoor Shootout borrowed its format from the Eddie, using a no-elimination style for its contest. The contest also uses a unique four-man team format without jerseys, and includes bodysurfing, bodyboarding, longboarding, stand up paddling, and shortboard surfing. The Backdoor Shootout is “the people’s contest for the people'' and its goal is to spotlight Hawai'i’s top

Daiki Matsunaga

Photo Brian Bielmann

Koa Rothman. Photo Brent Bielmann

Clay Marzo. Photo Mike Latronic

watermen, including well-known professional surfers as well as underground talent. The contest takes place at Pipeline, where the surfers have the chance to showcase their talent at Backdoor, Pipeline, and Off the Wall.

“There are so many types of waves you can get and so many different moods to Pipe,” says 2023 winner Benji Brand. “I think all of us are still trying to get to grips with that wave. I don’t think you ever arrive with a full understanding of that wave and that’s what keeps us coming back. It’s a wave that keeps you guessing.”

This year, the Backdoor Shootout was graced with nearly perfect conditions. Barreling ten-foot waves dotted the lineup and the surfers scored some incredible rides and some gnarly wipeouts. Billy Kemper, Makua Rothman, and Kala Grace all wound up with injuries, with both Rothman and Grace being taken to the hospital—luckily, everyone is recovering.

Zeke Lau. Photo Mike Latronic Billy Kemper. Photo Brent Bielmann

Kelly Slater

Photo Brian Bielmann

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In the end, it was Benji Brand who took home the wind. Brand is originally from South Africa but spent his childhood intermittently living on the North Shore and putting in countless hours at Pipe.

“It felt super unreal,” says Brand of the win. “It’s been a lifelong dream to win a Pipe event and the Backdoor Shootout feels like one of the coolest contests to win because you know the waves are going to be big, challenging, and firing. I was just blown away that I came out on top. I think it’s the best contest on Earth.”

2023

DA HUI BACKDOOR SHOOTOUT RESULTS

1 – Benji Brand

2 – Ivan Florence

3 – Kala Grace

Benji Brand. Photo Aukai Ng

The Da Hui Backdoor Shootout is a legendary surf competition that has been held annually for over four decades on the North Shore of O'ahu, Hawai‘i. The competition is named after the iconic surf break known as Backdoor, and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious surf events in the world.

The history of the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout can be traced back to the early 1980s, when a group of local surfers, known as the Da Hui, started holding informal surf contests at the famous wave. At the time, surfing was still seen as a niche sport and was not yet the global phenomenon it is today. However, the Da Hui were determined to showcase the talent and skill of the surfers who rode the North Shore's powerful waves, and the Backdoor Shootout was born.

In the early days, the competition was a small, invitation-only event that was held in secret. The Da Hui wanted to keep the contest exclusive, and only invited the best surfers from around the world to participate. This made the competition a highly anticipated event, with surfers from around the world clamoring for a chance to compete.

Today, the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout is a major event that draws surfers from around the world, as well as thousands of spectators who come to watch the surfers battle it out in the waves. The contest continues to be a celebration of the sport of surfing, and a testament to the skill and bravery of the surfers who dare to tackle the North Shore's legendary waves.

HISTORY OF DA HUI BACKDOOR SHOOTOUT

2008

John John 2011. Photo Tyler Rock

Jamie O'Brien, 2008

Mark Healey, 2011 Photo Heff

Seth Moniz 2015. Photo Tyler Rock

Mason Ho, 2018.

Photo Keoki

Koa Rothman, 2011.

Photo Eric Baeseman

Bruce Irons, 2008.

Photo Mike Latronic

David Stant, Eddie Rothman and BruceAmona

Photo Keoki

MOANA JONES WONG

A new bechmark set for women's tube riding

By Nicole Nason

Crowned the “Queen of Pipeline,” Moana Jones Wong successfully navigated what stands as the biggest and best tube ride ever recorded for a woman at the Banzai Pipeline. One might presume she did this with confidence and no fear but according to Moana, that wasn’t the case.

Moana caught the wave of her life minutes after Billy Kemper sustained a siren-inducing injury. What was running through her mind?

The decision didn’t come easy. Her board, wetsuit, leash, and parking were all a toss up. One thousand thoughts spiraled between her helmet. Moana hadn’t yet had a high-scoring wave in that particular round. A few weeks prior, she had almost drowned in a Vans Pipe Masters hold-down. It’s hard to be confident when Pipeline spits your teammate into a stretcher and maxing third reef sets are washing through.

Billy Kemper, friends, girlfriends of surfers, even landlocked tourists kept telling her, “You’re going to catch the wave of your life.” But how did they know? “It seemed like everyone else but me believed in me,” recounts Moana.

Suddenly she saw it - her wave. Fear dissipated. Silence overtook her mind. Emotions shut off and “All of a sudden everything in me said turn around and go,” declares Wong.

Teammate Kala Grace called her into the perfectly-shaped wall but Moana needed no coaxing. The Queen was already committed. Suddenly, everything aligned. Minutes after the heat buzzer, Moana embarked on every Pipeline surfer’s fantasy. Moana notes, “It meant more than anything I ever accomplished. It was the best moment of my life - more than winning the Volcom Pipe Pro last year. I can’t even describe what it means.

It felt like the wave was meant for me. It looked like the perfect shape and I was in the perfect spot so I paddled, put my head down and committed one hundred percent.”

Moana’s dad Dawson filmed the moment. With his telephoto vantage point, he saw into the technicality of this particular wave. He observed that, “If she did a drop, bottom turn, and trued up - it wouldn’t work. She had to knife it.”

Dawson categorizes Pipe surfers in two categories. There’s quantity or quality. He voices that, “She doesn’t take chances so I knew she wasn’t gonna roll the dice on (just) anything.” Thankfully as a parent, he doesn’t worry as much because, “Moana falls into the 2nd category - not a lot of waves but when she goes, she does something special.”

Waves like that aren’t just luck. Confusion and happiness swelled as she made her way up the beach to a cheering crowd. She looked back and realized the claps weren’t for another surfer. The gravity of this wave hit her when she saw the clip. Tears streaming, she murmured, “no way.”

Pipeline chooses you. Moana knows, “Pipeline chose me to have that wave - I’m humbled, honored, and in disbelief.”

This ride was a wave to watch over and over. Pipeline selectively rewards those who respect it and there’s much more to look forward to with Moana Jones Wong.

Well known as the “Queen of Pipeline,” Moana Jones-Wong has restated the way women's performance at Pipeline is regarded. On this particular bomb, Moana has opted to rearrange the furniture and made that throne a size and a half bigger.

Photo Mike Latronic

APERTURE

Ask any pro surfer what their favorite surf contest is and the answer would likely include the Banzai Pipeline. To get a slot at the Backdoor Shootout is a great day at work. Seth Moniz surely loves his job.

Photo Brian Bielmann

Jake Maki

Photo Brian Bielmann

Koa Rothman

Photo Brian Bielmann

Balaram Stack

Photo Christa Funk

Nephew to Mike and Derek Ho, Kala Grace has championship blood flowing through his veins. While genetics can account for only so much, Kala has shown himself to be one of the hardest charging, balls to the wall performers at the Pipeline ever. And despite some hair raising injuries along the way, he’s only just getting started.

Photo Christa Funk

Carissa Moore

Photo Brian Bielmann

Michael & Coco Ho

Photo Brian Bielmann

Kiron Jabor

Photo Mike Latronic

Mikey Redd

Photo Brian Bielmann

The youngest competitor at the Backdoor Shootout, Jake Maki was certainly not the shyest.

Photo Brian Bielmann

Seth Moniz

Photo Mike Latronic

Michael Ho

Photo Brian Bielmann

Gifted Maui surfer Clay Marzo is enjoying the white room at Pipeline.

Photo Christa Funk

March

JAKE MAKI

By Aukai Ng

Photos Ryan "Chachi" Craig

Many of the top surfers have shown their progression from early groms years to adulthood. However, it seemed as if the surfing public just blinked and there appeared Jake Maki. We can all admit that we probably have been sleeping on this 19 year old’s style of surfing. Having grown up on the Big Island and now living on the North Shore of O'ahu, this Kahuku graduate has demonstrated how commitment can get you on the big stage. Jake has traveled to different parts of the world to find the best visions in the barrel: Fiji, Indo, and even Kelly’s Surf Ranch. And in the most recent years, he has charged at some of the most prestigious events in Hawai’i. His first stop was Da Hui Backdoor Shootout where he represented team Volcom and packed it in many solid barrels. Shortly after, Maki headed down to Waimea Bay to answer the call for the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. Since Jake constantly practices at Waimea whenever the swell is big, it makes sense that the Aikau family invited him. In every single one of his heats, he absolutely went for it on every bomb that came his way. He survived big takeoffs and gnarly wipeouts through the day and he kept getting back up. At this point, Jake has definitely left his mark on surfing history and the whole surfing community can’t wait to see more of his surfing.

Tell us a bit about your relationship with surfing and how you got started?

Surfing is a huge part of growing up in Hawai’i because being surrounded by the ocean there are countless waves to be ridden in our islands. I grew up on the Big Island and started surfing by getting pushed in by my dad. The majority of waves where I grew up surfing were super gnarly and not very user friendly. The waves were hard to get to and we often had to scale cliffs to make it down to the rocks below before getting in the water. The waves usually consisted of some kind of rock or reef obstacle that you had to avoid, or risk breaking your only board or set of fins. Living on the Big Island I worked hard and surfed as much as I could, hitching rides from uncles and older friends to go surf. I moved to the North Shore when I was 14 years old and lived close enough to the beach to get on my bike after school and go surfing. Having sand on the beach felt like I was at Disneyland or something haha. (Big Island surf breaks are most often fronted by rocks.) I had taken trips to the North Shore before, but now I had access to these waves all the time. When I moved to O’ahu, I made it a goal of mine to start surfing big waves.

Seems like you got pretty comfortable at Pipeline very quickly, especially for a teenager. I first paddled out at Pipe when I came over on a trip from the Big Island, I was probably in 6th or 7th grade. It was a small day and not ‘real’ Pipeline. Soon after I entered what would be the last Pipe Pro Jr. competition, and that contest was my first experience at real Pipeline. It was bombing and I realized I had a lot to learn but it was a wave I wanted to set my future focus on.

It's no easy task to get respect and have credibility at the Pipeline is it?

I always try to be as respectful as possible at Pipeline, saying hello, and shaking all the boys and uncles hands every session. After a long time of watching from the channel, going on closeouts, getting burned a lot, and watching the best do their thing, I slowly tried to work my way up, taking time to note what lineups people used, listening to what everyone says about the wave, and stuff like that. After putting in a lot of time and getting called into some makeable waves I got hooked and started to

learn a lot about riding the barrel. I learn something new every time I surf Pipe. Pipeline is one of the best and heaviest barreling waves in the world, but it's not just the perfect freeze frame barrel shot every time. There’s a lot of faces of the waves and they're always changing. There’s an endless amount to learn. Pipe is a really crowded wave, with a lineup full of lifelong Pipe surfers, local surfers, pros, photographers, groms, and people who might not be ready to surf Pipeline yet. My goals for Pipe are to continue putting in my time and learning the wave and proving myself out there, chasing the biggest deepest longest barrel…with the biggest spit too! haha. One of my biggest goals since I was little was to be in the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout one day, and I got to achieve that this year thanks to Volcom!

The 2023 Volcom shootout team consisted of Balaram Stack, Kainehe Hunt, Makana Pang, Noa Deane, Mikey “Redd” O’Shaughnessy, and myself. That was super special to not only achieve one of my goals to be in the competition, but to be chosen by Volcom and to surf Pipeline with just my friends! That was a really cool event because with the specialty format, I was able to surf four sessions at Pipeline with no one out, I learned a lot over those two days of competition! We had some wild conditions and everyone did the best they could to wrangle a good one.

Getting the line-up at Pipe with only your teammates out is indeed a blessing! How about Waimea? Tell us about your evolution thus far out there. I started out surfing Waimea Bay probably on something like an old 7’6’ sitting in the channel at Pinballs. Then Uncle Kalani (Chapman) let me borrow his 9’2” on bigger days. Waimea Bay is a premier right hand big wave surf spot. With the takeoff spot filled with hundreds of feet of foam and fiberglass on a normal day, it can be hard to find the right spot in the lineup or catch a wave by yourself, but that makes it a fun wave to surf with friends because you can catch a really giant party wave. Being in the deep water and open ocean is really cool and peaceful, and looking back towards shore you can see the big valley and the chaos on the beach, the traffic on the roads, and everything in-between. The giant drops at Waimea and potential for long rides draws me back every time.

My goals at Waimea are to push my limits, get a crazy drop on a big wave, and prove myself out there. My biggest goal in surfing was to get invited to the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, and I achieved that and got to surf in the event on January 22nd. I think everyone in the Eddie wants to win it haha, but being able to compete in the Eddie had all of us in the contest feeling like we were winning!

Being in the Eddie event was a dream come true! Being surrounded by the best big wave riders in the world, and a lot of my heroes I look up to was really amazing. Everyone was smiling all day. We couldn’t believe that day was real. The waves were giant, so was the audience on the beach. People were calling each other into waves in the heats, the crowd cheered for every ride. It was the coolest thing ever! It was an honor to be out there! Surfing twice, and having a chance at a maximum of eight waves at perfect Waimea Bay was really amazing.

To honor Eddie Aikau at that event was cool because that is where Eddie became a pioneer in both big wave surfing and ocean lifeguarding. Eddie Aikau inspires people across the world because he was an incredible surfer and lifeguard, and he did it all with the Aloha Spirit. This year the event also honored

Uncle Solomon and Uncle China too, both whom I had the honor of talking story with in the past. I was the youngest competitor in this year's Eddie Aikau contest, and that was a really cool and special feeling. It made me want to go even bigger so I could prove that I really wanted to be there and that I should be there.

You took some huge bombs and a few serious spills! Talk about the wipeout factor at Pipe and Waimea.

Pipeline is one of the most deadly waves to surf, and it is also the most unpredictable, making it hard not to wipeout sometimes!

I've hit the reef countless times, sometimes really really bad. I once went over the falls straight to my knees on the reef, it felt like they both broke instantly. I’ve worn a helmet at Pipe since my first sessions out there. Good thing, because I’ve slammed my head a handful of times where I think it could have easily killed me.

Wiping out at Waimea Bay is really gnarly. If you fall from the top, it's a long way down, so it's likely you’ll get the wind knocked out of you on impact. It will suck you over if you get caught or fall in the bowl too, then it will thrash you, push you deep, and keep you under for a long time.

Moku

Since the inception of professional wave riding, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing has the distinction of being the most respected, longest running series of surfing events in history. The prizes have grown to be fruitful, the results were important to the world tour, the hype and the media were big but ultimately the prestige, credibility and respect given to these champions were without rival.

The Vans Triple Crown in recent years has gone through some major logistical changes.

Primarily, the contests are no longer actual staged events. The Vans Triple Crown used to be three actual events held at the beach at Haleiwa, Sunset and Pipeline. The events had a waiting period and surfers would put on their colored jerseys and battle each other out in timed heats complete with flags, buzzers, spotters, staging, banners and judges. The new series is the Virtual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Nowadays surfers must still perform at the same three powerful venues but they can pick up their best performing rides and submit them on video to a panel of judges from any day, at any time within the month of January 2023 between the 3rd and 23rd.

Looking at the top ten male and female performers is always going to be the who’s who of modern performance surfing, especially those who excel in waves of consequence.

FINNEGAN MCGILL

CARISSA MOORE

AM

PM

BOARD STORIES

AM

BOARD STORIES IS BACK!

“Board Stories” can be seen in Hawai'i on Spectrum OC16 on Ch. 16/1016 and Spectrum Surf Channel Ch. 20/1020. Spectrum OC16’s live stream is available on oc16.tv and the Spectrum TV app (to Spectrum customers in Hawai'i only), and nationally to any Spectrum customer on the Spectrum News mobile app and CTV app on Roku and Apple TV.

Mokulele Surf Team Rider

Kai Martin

Photo Aukai Ng

Matteus Santos

Photo by Neal Miyake

Carissa Moore and Jack Robinson Win WSL 2023 Billabong Pro Pipeline

Title in 2022. She will have the yellow jersey and plenty of momentum going into stop No. 2 on the CT, the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach.

Jack Robinson Claims First Win of 2023 CT Season at Pipeline

Carissa Moore (HAW) and Jack Robinson (AUS) won the Billabong Pro Pipeline, the first stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2023 Championship Tour (CT). Five-time World Champion Moore and third-year CT competitor Robinson took their wins at the world-renowned Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of O'ahu. Moore defeated two-time World Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) in the Final, while Robinson overcame Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA).

With the first event of the season complete, competitors will now prepare for the second event of the season just down the road at Sunset Beach. Moore and Robinson will wear the coveted yellow Leader jersey, taking the rankings’ lead from eight-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and 2022 World Champion Filipe Toledo (BRA), respectively.

Carissa Moore Finally Claims CT Victory at Pipeline

Carissa Moore has been runner-up at Pipeline for the past two years and finally achieved her breakthrough victory today. In a rematch of their 2020 Final, Moore and Wright once again faced each other in the 11th Final matchup between them.

“I’m so happy, and there are just so many emotions just to get this win,” said Moore. “For the women, it’s been so many years in the making, and having us out at a crazy wave like Pipeline and just trying to spend more time has been such a process. After finishing the season like I did last year, it’s nice to come away with a win and wipe that slate clean. To win an event that’s in honor of Andy Irons is so special. He’s one of my favorite surfers of all time, and I always appreciated the time he took for me.”

Moore’s day began with a matchup against tour newcomer, fellow Oahu competitor, 17-year-old Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW). Although a slow heat, Moore managed to find a Backdoor wave barrel and earn an excellent 8.0. Sakura Johnson put up a valiant effort, but it wasn’t enough to take down the experienced World Champion. The five-time WSL Champion now returns to No. 1 after falling just short of her sixth World

A slow start to the men’s Final witnessed Jack Robinson maintain a slim lead over Leonardo Fioravanti heading into the back half of their battle. Fioravanti upped the requirement with a Backdoor runner, earning a 4.00 and pushing Robinson to need a 3.51. At the 11-minute mark, Robinson turned the heat, earning a solid 6.00 with a forehand, two-turn combination. Fioravanti followed with a quick Backdoor cover up, but only notched a 3.47.

Time expired before Fioravanti could get to his feet again, leaving Robinson to emerge victorious. This is Robinson's first Billabong Pro Pipeline win and the fourth CT win of his career.

“I’ve dreamed of this for a long time, and Andy [Irons] was one of my favorite surfers ever, and it’s just an honor,” said Robinson. “To feel everything, all the emotions at the start of the year, you don’t know how you’re going to come back. I was feeling good, but you never know with this beast, with Pipeline. This one’s the most special. I’m super grateful for this start here in Hawai‘i, and I’m just getting myself ready to run that road. It was a low one last year, but I also learned a lot, and there’s no price on that.”

Jack Robinson and Carissa Moore. Photo Brent Bielmann/WSL

Maldives

Tyler Wright and Leonardo Fioravanti Earn Second-place Finishes at Billabong Pro Pipeline

Two-time World Champion, Wright, started her Finals Day campaign with a narrow win over Lakey Peterson (USA) in the women’s Semifinal, Heat 1. Wright came flying out of the gates with a backdoor barrel and solid finishing maneuver, notching an excellent 8.00 in the opening minutes. Peterson responded with a Backdoor barrel of her own to earn a 7.00. The two traded off leading the heat, but it was ultimately Wright who emerged victorious by just .10 of a point.

This marks Wright’s second Final at the renowned wave of Pipeline. She previously won here in 2020 after the women’s event was moved from Maui. Her runner-up finish will jumpstart her 2023 season toward the mid-season cut and road to the Final 5.

“The women deserve to be at Pipe, and you can see how much comfortable women have got here just knowing the event is going to be on tour from now on," said Wright. "Massive shoutout to the WSL for supporting women's surfing and seeing how it can grow. Honestly, we had a really nice offseason, and a lot of work went into performance and a lot of work went into building my body back. I’ve been working with Surfing Australia, and they’ve been amazing for me, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. Actually, it’s a really enjoyable process for me, and I just want to say thank you to those guys."

Leonardo Fioravanti’s road to the finals began with a narrow Quarterfinal win over tour veteran Jordy Smith (RSA). Smith controlled a majority of the heat, but with less than 10 minutes left, Fioravanti tracked down two impressive Backdoor barrels. His final score of 6.67 was just enough to take the heat win from Smith.

Carissa Moore. Photo Tony Heff/WSL

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He then went on to face event threat Caio Ibelli (BRA) in Semifinal, Heat 1. Fioravanti took an early lead by successfully navigating a Backdoor barrel to earn a 7.67. He was able to hold onto the lead and put Ibelli in a combination situation. Ibelli finally put a solid score of a 6.50 on the board at the ten-minute mark, but wasn’t able to find a backup.

“I mean, this is a dream come true,” said Fioravanti. “I’ve grown up watching every single event here since I was 10. To come to the podium with Lyndie (Irons) here and to have a trophy with Andy’s (Irons) name on it, he’s one of the greatest out here, and it means so much. To have my family here and everyone supporting me on the beach is just special. This wave put me in the hospital for six months when I was 17 years old and it’s also given me so much. Thank you Pipeline, thank you to the locals for letting us surf it this year. Hawai‘i is such a special place for surfing and I’m grateful to be on the podium for such a special event.”

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Billabong Pro Pipeline Women's Final Results:

1 - Carissa Moore (HAW) 11.00

2 - Tyler Wright (AUS) 10.00

Billabong Pro Pipeline Men's Final Results:

1 - Jack Robinson (AUS) 9.17

2 - Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 7.47

Jack Robinson Photo Dylan Truesdale

NORTH SHORE TAKES CARE

North Shore Lifeguard Association is Fundraising to keep its Junior Guards Program Alive

By Tiffany Foyle

The City & County of Honolulu’s Ocean Safety Department has always suffered from staffing issues and after 20 years of running a Junior Lifeguards Program in the summer, the challenge became, do they staff the lifeguard towers or the program? That’s when private nonprofits like the North Shore Lifeguard Association (NSLA) stepped up to fundraise for grants and get community donations to keep Junior Guards going. Veteran North Shore lifeguard Bryan Phillips quietly took the helm of this effort.

“Lifeguards are problem-solvers,” says Phillips, who served as Director of NSLA’s Junior Guards for nearly 10 years. “That’s what we do all day long, so I was committed to finding a solution to keep the program going. The future of Hawai‘i lifeguards really starts with Junior Guards. Most of our good guards have come through the program. It's more far-reaching and changes peoples’ lives more than you could ever know. I was a junior guard for six years. I knew I was going to try out to be a lifeguard the second I graduated high school.”

At the height of his efforts, Phillips raised upwards of $1 million dollars from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) for four seasons in a row, which resulted in a statewide program in which NSLA was the grant recipient and then distributed funds to all lifeguard districts and counties to execute their own Junior Guards programs. With this creative approach, Junior Guards was able to reach 1,800 youth statewide each summer.

While Junior Guards has traditionally served ages 12-17, NSLA started a pilot program in 2018 at Waimea Bay for keiki ages 8-11. “Hawai‘i is the epicenter of ocean sports and we don't really have a program like Australia’s ‘Nippers’ where they teach ocean skills at a young age,” Phillips explains. “Starting younger really fosters safety and it's our responsibility as a community to reach the kids early living in a state entirely surrounded by the ocean.” Waimea’s keiki Junior Guards went so well in 2018 and 2019 that Phillips was ready to push hard with HTA to expand that to all other districts and counties.

Then the pandemic hit.

After two years of restrictions and hard hits to the economy— and no Junior Guards—NSLA was able to resume Junior Guards for ages 8-11 at Waimea in June, and ages 12-17 at ‘Ehukai in July in the summer of 2022. NSLA served more than 400 youth for free in seven weeks. City & County of Honolulu rolled out one-week sessions in each district on O‘ahu as well.

But there’s a new problem to solve now: NSLA is starting from scratch—without previous funders and a retired Bryan Phillips.

“COVID shut this program down for 2020 and 2021, and what we learned in that time and with the limited resources we have left is that we need to keep it simple and just focus on doing as much as we can in our own community,” explains Kyle Foyle, NSLA President and current North Shore Junior Guards Director. “So much has changed, but we are committed to taking care of our community and anyone willing to make the drive to us for their keiki. We had a great time bonding with kids from all over the island last summer.”

Pipeline Queen Moana Jones grew up doing Junior Guards. “Kyle Foyle was actually my instructor,” she laughs. “I still go to train with the guards at ‘Ehukai. The run-swim-runs and

FOR THE LONG RIDE...

FIND

GERRY LOPEZ MR. PIPELINE

burners and all the activities they teach the kids are the best conditioning you can get. I’m super inspired by the program and use the skills it taught me every day in the ocean—to stay alive and help others.”

Foyle has been a lifeguard for 18 years and taught Junior Guards for 16 years. While he’s always loved being an instructor and being “Uncle Kyle” to the next generations, he now has the added passion of providing for his son. “My son would have been able to start the program in 2020, but instead, had his first experience last summer,” he says. “We can’t make up for

lost time but we owe this next generation everything we’ve got moving forward. I know it’s lean times for the surf and tourism industry, but I hope those industries that profit off of the North Shore’s beauty and our ocean community can donate to the cause and give back. Any little bit helps.”

Your donation to NSLA is 100% tax-deductible: https://www.gofundme.com/f/2023-north-shore-junior-guardsfundraiser

By Nicole Nason

California

with Hawai'i Roots

Etienne Aurelius and Makua Rothman headed up the first ever North Shore International Film Festival. Based on the claphappy crowd, the first won’t be the last.

It was like a long lost reunion of flamboyant surfers alongside socialites minus salt. The seasoning was a mix of In-Person Instagram. It was like everyone hopped into fresh linen and sequined statements instead of board shorts and kinis. “Cheehoo” echoed through the crowd as awards were adorned on humility stricken figures who poured out words of gratitude, perseverance, and aloha.

They didn’t want an award. The award was seeing wide eyed watchers hoot and holler filled with unapologetic ear reaching grins. Being at this event is to see a community come together and embrace each other's presence. The night echoed an energy equivalent to a brimming lineup of frothing groms. The event was orchestrated as a charcuterie - blended with distinct pairings. Complete with a blessing, short films, live tunes, the Pe’ahi Feature, and a vending lineup polished off with booze. Silence fell as the main premiere overtook the space.

It wasn’t just a film about surfing. The film is a hero story. One that we all wish for and resonate with. The idea of making itnot giving up and giving your dream a go by wringing out every ounce of courage. Aesthetically pleasing, easy on the ear, and energetically guided with intention - Pe’ahi is meant to inspire the next generation. To remind each and every one of us that it’s never too late to do what we are called to in life. That we have the opportunity and responsibility to do what is pono for the next generation.

We spoke with a few watermen who gave some insights on the night.

Noah Beschen and Andy Woodward are the understated up and coming talent of the night. Decked out in cozy neutrals, these two have embarked on bringing surfing edits to a dream-

FISH - SWALLOW TAILS - DIAMOND TAILS - KNEEBOARDS - CONCAVE PAIPOS

‘OLINA SWIMWEAR

OAHU, HAWAII

like aesthetic and unsurprisingly won with their unique eye for cinema. It’s suiting that Andy’s Instagram bio reads “Spaces between dreams.” Their piece also includes the likes of Kalani Rivero and Makana Pang. Be on the lookout for more from this team.

Noah states that he looks for films that he can resonate with. If it’s something that he hasn’t seen before, “that’s A1.” Andy giggles as Noah mentions how they just came from filming at Haleiwa for seven hours. Earlier on that same morning, Andy started off the day focused on his viewfinder perched on the back of a truck at Sunset. Their goal in their upcoming summer film release is to have viewers enjoy a film unlike anything they’ve seen before. The work ethic will bring these two far.

5%

10%

Nothing happens overnight. Kai Lenny reminds us of the importance of using fear as a propeller. He talked about how this fictionalized story based out of Hawai’i brings awareness to the reality of the homeless situation and the opportunity to become successful despite rocky starts. Kai encourages that “overnight successes typically take 10 years.” It’s all about goals and then goal segmenting. Make smaller goals to achieve the big ones. If you have an open mind, you’re able to learn a lot about yourself in life.

The most difficult part of the Pe’ahi process is “trying to film big waves and film a movie at the same time.” Kai goes on to say how, “when you’re surfing big waves, you just want to be one hundred percent focused on what you’re about to go ride.” But, “in between being a producer and trying to make something unique and exceptional, it definitely took a lot to pull off.” That’s what he thinks drives him the most - being outside of his comfort zone.

To really want something bad enough is to become devout. Repetition is our greatest opportunity. The actions we repeat become our reality. The event hummed the importance of community, work ethic, and pursuing dreams. The night seemed to echo three words as a cheery 12 year old , Dustin Satz, thanked Etienne and Kai for the ride of a lifetime. Go for it.

Each suit is designed by a local student athlete, or model aspiring to enter the world of business.

of the proceeds are donated to a charity of their choice: including Access Surf, Coral Gardeners, and World Wildlife Foundation. Learn more on our Instagram!

Oū Code: FREESURF

@haleiwacoffeeroasters

We’re just two meticulous roasters who joined forces to bring you the freshest coffee imaginable.

Xcel Wetsuits announced the signing of pro surfer Sage Erickson as the face of Xcel’s growing women’s business. “I have been a fan of Xcel forever” said Sage Erickson “Their commitment to making the highest performing wetsuits is important to me and I am excited to help build out the Xcel women’s business.” Said Courtney Kincaid, Head of Sales “We couldn’t be more excited to sign Sage to the Xcel family.”

In partnership with the Kahanamoku family and Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, the WSL announced the WSL Championship Tour (CT) world title trophy will now be known as the Duke Kahanamoku WSL Champions' Trophy. Naming the trophy in honor of the universally recognized forefather of modern surfing furthers the WSL's dedication to recognizing surfing's rich heritage while also promoting progression, innovation, and performance at the highest levels.

Patagonia releases new documentary entitled Foam Dust. "Fletch" Chouinard –son of Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard - founded Fletcher Chouinard Designs (FCD) 25 years ago with the goal of creating more durable, environmentallyfriendly surfboards. The documentary follows Chouinard’s journey to create the brand.

Big wave surfer and shaper Pat Curren passed away at age 90. Father to former World Champ Tom Curren, Pat was tremendously influential in designing more modern equipment and also riding it. R.I.P.

The World Surf League announces its transgender policy. The WSL decided to follow the same transgender policy as the ISA. The policy states that “an athlete who was assigned male at birth, who identifies as a woman must satisfy the International Surfing Association Medical Commission that her serum testosterone concentration has been less than 5 nmol/L continuously for a period of the previous 12 months and secondly, meets any other requirements reasonably set by the Executive Committee and/or Medical Commission.”

Bethany Hamilton took to social media to share her thoughts on the new WSL transgender policy. She says she’ll boycott WSL events if the policy doesn’t change.

The World Surf League announces the Apple watch as its official equipment for keeping surfers up to date during competition. WSL athletes will use Series 8 and Ultra watches synched with the specially- made WSL Surfer app to provide them with real time scores, wave priority, and remaining time in the heat.

Nathan Florence broke his back in a massive Jaws wipeout. He shared an update on social media: “Update to my back injury after the big wipeout at Jaws last week; turns out I have a compression fracture on my T12, aka broke my back. Break is as good as things can be for the situation, no disc damage, nothing out of place, no pressure on spine, no surgery needed, deadlifts are to thank I believe, just bone that needs healing. Out for about six weeks unless I can super heal, which I feel pretty confident about; you know milk and corn do wonders!”Twotime world champion

Sage Erickson

An evening at Rockpiles saying goodbye to longtime friend and fellow photographer, Art Brewer. "As we said goodbye to Art, We were watching big, beautiful backlit Rockpile. John John Florence and a friend were the only 2 surfers in the water. John does a huge beautiful cutback as the best surf photogs in the world look on as no one has a camera. We laugh and say Art shot that one." - Brian

Bielmann

Two-time world champion Kelia Moniz celebrated her 30th birthday on February 5th.

Also Bethany Hamilton celebrated her 33rd birthday on February 8th.

While the entire surfing world was laser-focused on the Eddie, Noa Ginella and friends sampled some epic outer-reef action.

IN

W

ords can’t begin to describe the loss of Larry Haynes to his family, friends and surfing world. Perhaps the most prolific water filmer on the planet, Haynes' work ethic, attention to quality, and consistency was legendary. He was a bear of a man, burly and known for great big hugs, an infectious laugh, beaming smile and endless surf stoke. Larry loved surfing as much as he did shooting and he was undoubtedly one of the hardest-working videographers there ever was - and probably ever will be.

Before social media, before surfing became a popular topic on TV, before YouTube or the internet was even created, Larry Haynes was on a mission. In the mid to late 1980’s, when print magazines dominated surf media, Haynes was inspired to shoot video almost entirely. Starting out with hi-8 video tape and eventually upgrading to higher quality mini-dv and then DV Cam, 35mm film and finally the high-resolution RED cameras. Before GoPro cameras were invented, and because he loved to surf also, Haynes fashioned a small video camera affixed on a Gath Helmet and was one of the first to pioneer “follow-cam.” Larry was a major fixture in the line-ups at Pipe, Backdoor, Sunset and V-land and likely holds the most thorough archive of water videography from Hawaii of anyone.

Haynes was running a business project titled “Focus on You” in his early years, offering anyone who wanted to hire him for a session a great video of themselves. He would later form his company Fluid Vision Productions and created an amazing body of work under the title of “Fluid Combustion.” Coincidentally his involvement in surf television production coincided with a partnership in the early days of “Boardstories TV,” an associate production of Freesurf! Haynes had a stellar reputation for

producing quality water clips in heavy conditions in waves of consequence and his reputation landed him tons of work with many of the biggest surf brands for their movie productions as well as regular gigs for the ASP (which is now the WSL). Whether it was surf movies or TV shows, Haynes was the go-to guy for dependable, high quality video work and even won an Emmy award for his cinematography. Until his death, Haynes was perhaps the number one choice of hire on the planet for productions in need of water work.

Besides his amazing work ethic, Larry’s love for life, his optimism, and authentic kindness was noteworthy. His job bridged relationships with all of the best surfers on the planet as well as countless marketing figureheads, production managers, independent producers and on-camera personalities.

Larry passed after a SUP surf session at Laniakea. After doing what he loved, he was near his car when he suffered a heart attack. That man's shoes will never be filled. There was only one Larry Haynes.

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Tahitian Eimeo Czermak is an absolute charger. Well honed in the big tubes of Teauhupo'o and other Tahitian reefs, Pipeline presents a welcome challenge. (NOTE: Kala Grace at the far lower right had suffered a major injury. Thankfully he was brought back to the beach and is on the road to recovery.)

Photo Brian Bielmann