Surf’s Up in Hawaii … WAY Up!

I’m taking a brief time out from the usual train- and travel-related stuff to give you a look at some of the big wave surfing that’s going on here at the moment.  I suppose it’s appropriate to do so, since many thousands of people make a point of traveling here from all over the world just to see these huge waves.
This photo appeared in today’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser and was taken New Year’s Day at Sunset Beach on Oahu’s North Shore.  Typically, the biggest surf comes this time of year, in the “winter” months, and almost always from the north.  One of the “big surf” meets was recently postponed … the waves weren’t big enough!
The meets that attract the crowds and the big name surfers from around the world are held on Oahu, but there are plenty of challenging surf spots here on Maui. The most famous one is commonly called Jaws, although most of us use the Hawaiian name, Peahi  (pronounced pay-AH-hee). The waves get so big there that the handful of surfers skilled enough to tackle them have to be towed out beyond the break either by jet skis or, in extreme conditions, carried out by helicopter.

Here’s a photo taken at Peahi. When surfers are riding these huge waves, crowds gather. And you know that testing those waves is dangerous for even the best of the best because county lifeguards are hovering nearby with their powerful jet skis and volunteer ambulance crews are standing by. When these waves crash onto the beach, the ground trembles hundreds of yards away.
And the answer to the question I know most of you are asking about the guys who surf the big waves at Peahi is … Yes, they are definitely crazy!