Staff
This weekend, Jaws went Richter. It went tubular. It went off the charts and did things we never thought it could do. And the big-wave community was more than ready to adjust to whatever was thrown at them. Paddle in when it’s big and clean, or grab the tow rope when it’s outsized and angry. Above is a collection of some of the best tow surfing highlights the World Surf League could find, woven together for your enjoyment. What stands out? The absolute speed.
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The surf got big in the Hawaiian Islands this weekend. That might be an understatement. All the attention has been on Maui. But by the looks of it, Oahu stayed clean and beautiful. John John, Koa Rothman and Mikey Wright, among others, were apparently making good choices and staying close to home. Erik Knutson captured John John paddling into this picture-perfect wave with nary a drop of water misplaced. (It’s uncanny how much this looks like Fiji.) We’re not sure if it’s Outside Alligators, Himalayas, or a number of other outer reef locales. We do know it’s big, clean, and while he didn’t quite make it out, John John Florence was in the perfect position.
Staff
Chuck Patterson might just be the world’s best big wave skier. It’s likely, in fact, if only because there aren’t exactly a whole lot of people who ski on very big waves. Chuck, though? Chuck’s a pro. He’s been pulling out the twin planks at places like Jaws for years now most notably while wearing sweet zebra-striped spandex and he’s still at it. Now, however, he’s focussed his attention on Maverick’s, which has been the focus of a whole lot of great swells in the last little while. One of those swells produced a wave and a ride of such perfection that it caused Sam George to say it was “not only the wave of the decade at Maverick’s, but the best ever ridden at that fearsome break.”
Annie Reickert. Photo: Aaron Lynton Kai Lenny. Photo: Aaron Lynton Kai Lenny.Photo: Aaron Lynton Kai Lenny. Photo: Aaron Lynton Kai Lenny. Photo: Aaron Lynton Ridge Lenny. Photo: Aaron Lynton Ty Simpson Kane. Photo: Aaron Lynton Zane Schweitzer. Photo: Aaron Lynton
Another underground session went down at Jaws on Thursday, January 7, with only a few locals out doing their thing. There were a few little lulls during the day’s tide switches, but for the most part, it was a day of nonstop, 15-foot action. But while much of the surf world has been tuned in to Maverick’s lately, this trend of underground sessions at Jaws is putting the versatility of Maui’s big wave community on display.