Ho Hum … Just Another Day in Paradise.
For the past few days, the news here in Hawaii has been about the big surf. Waves of 40 to 50 feet have been pounding the north-facing shores of all the islands. Some reports are predicting bigger surf today. Bigger than anything we’ve seen for decades.
About a mile from our place is Pe’ahi, a rocky inlet famous – no, actually “infamous” is the better word – infamous for the monster waves that roll in there. It’s also known more commonly as Jaws.
When the really big surf arrives out here, and the monster waves start roaring into Pe’ahi, it brings out the handful of surfers with enough skill and enough courage to tackle them.
Getting down to Pe’ahi takes some effort. It’s about a half hour hike, but there are lots of spectators, usually including one of Maui County’s paramedic teams. A helicopter, too. That’s how the photographers get all the incredible shots. And occasionally they save a surfer’s life.
They’re all wonderfully crazy, of course.
