JAWS
BY RUSTY RUSSELL
HAWAII MOVERS
3.00am, dark and were on our third mission to Jaws in one week. Hindsight suggests we should have just stayed on Maui. As forecasts updated so too did our travel plans – Pe’ahi calling us back.
Peʻahi is a place on the north shore of the island of Maui. The name Peʻahi means “wave” in the Hawaiian language, in the sense of a fanning or beckoning motion of the hand, and that’s just what it did to us – You can hear it from miles away.
What makes Jaws unique is that it doesn’t break unless it’s big, really BIG. When it does, waves can reach 60 feet during the winter season. Jaws needs a monster North swell to jar the beast awake. You’ll begin to see some life when it gets over 15-20 feet. From the north shore of Maui a massive underwater ridge – the remnant of an old lava flow, juts straight out to sea. It’s impressive in size and steepness. A little over half a mile from shore the reef drops abruptly away into the sea. An average swell of 10 to 12 feet passes over the nub of the reef without incident. But larger swells, storm spawned; suddenly build upward as they strike the reef
Jaws or Peahi breaks over perfectly shaped triangle reef. The winter swells that pound the Hawaiian shores come all the way from the Aleutian island chain in the far north of the Bering sea. Unimpeded by landfall they arrive at Hawaii full of raw power.
YOU’LL BEGIN TO SEE SOME LIFE WHEN IT GETS OVER 15 – 20 FEET
Unique to Jaws is another second wave-rearing trick. The swells on either side of the reef, moving in deeper water, bend inward, focusing much of their energy on the center of the wave. It’s like a magnifying glass gathering light into a hot, focused beam. In essence, the reef squeezes the wave inward and upward on the peak forming the beast we know as Jaws.
That surfers can now paddle in at Jaws and get barreled is remarkable. That they can do it with the kind of style and composure demonstrated this week by Ben Wilkinson, Aaron Gold, Kai Lenny and Albee Layer is proof that today’s big wave surfing is true next level stuff.
How quickly times have changed where guys are now paddling in and getting barreled out of their minds at Jaws.
On Oahu at Big Ben Wilkinson’s in Haleiwa, Ben is making repairs to his homemade board bag he constructed out of a cardboard box that blanks come in. With two trips down already this week his home made board bag is starting to look beat up. The coffin sized box/bag gaining more amused looks from customs officers with every trip. This amusement is followed closely by a suspicious glance inside.
This trip Ben’s packed four boards a 9’ 10 and a 9’ 6, a nice 10’ 0 and a second 9’ 6. You just never know, break a board here maybe 2. With the enormity of the forecast swell Ben’s likely travelling from Jaws to California to surf in the Maverick’s invitational that is likely going off Friday.
Were joined by Aaron Gold – big wave surfer, driver and all around legend. Ben’s told us Aaron likes everything in order, prepared and organised. Reading between the lines of Benny’s description of Aaron he’s basically saying – can you try your best not to fuck up and stuff around when in transit with Aaron?
Aaron’s been getting calls all day long about the Eddie, the swell, where he’s going? What he’s doing? Just non-stop, Ben suggests he should leave a voicemail message saying “I’ve gone to Jaws for the third time this week in the hope of catching a window that has about a 4% chance of opening. The fact that I am going probably means the Eddie won’t run tomorrow. Shoots”
At Haleiwa the swell hasn’t even arrived and there’s waves breaking inside the harbour. The night before Ben and the boys at the canoe club moved all the boats to higher ground. Aaron’s just taken photos of the harbour completely flooded and waves breaking inside the break wall – Ben calls the club to warn “the canoes may not be high enough and warning them the swell coming is going to be a big one.”
Haiku, Maui we check into our accommodation, a local bed and breakfast located close to Jaws in Hikaku. Our enthusiastic lodge owner Colin welcomes us warmly. He sees the big paddle boards the boys are carrying and gives us a quiet tip off he’s heard on the beach that day – apparently the Eddie Aikau will be running tomorrow boys says Colin. It’s kinda funny cause with Aaron and Kohl being invites and Ben an alternate for the Eddie.
We politely inform Colin that the Eddie has very little chance of running tomorrow because all these boys are in the event. He takes this news then appears to realise he’s got 2 heavy weight surfers staying in his beach house. The boys at the beach are going to love this I’m thinking.
Ben looks at an updated buoy report – the boys predict the morning window is game on at the Jaws – Aaron’s thinking the readings should be 16, 17’s stuff – which is still 30 foot. This is a giant fucken swell, places like Huahine in Tahiti will be going off. Ben says “imagine what you could do with a good budget on something like this swell – just bash, bash, bash, bash here, bash to Oregon, bash Cortez, then head super south – Huahine is going to be going rictar. It’s had heaps of north’s to open up the channel and then anything residual just gets funnelled down – After a few big days here heaps of swell just follows for days as the currents just keeps pulling the swell down south – if only you had an unlimited budget.”
BASH, BASH, BASH, BASH HERE, BASH TO OREGON, BASH CORTEZ THEN HEAD SUPER SOUTH
A few smoke screens have been made with some making calls of not going and then showing up or talking up another spot only to show up at another. “I think it’s good we’ve just stuck to our guns and have told people what were doing” says Ben.
It’s 7am and the buoys on Maui are just starting to come up with some big readings 27–17, 24–17, everything after that – it’s on.
Next morning you can see on the pauwela that the swell has arrived – it’s just a matter of how big? The readings are 21-12. Swell and the period not the wave height – it means the swell is just starting to get here. 4 hours after it hit Oahu it started hitting Maui – its 4 hours pretty much from Oahu to here.
Dorian texts Aaron a photo of Jaws from his phone – its big.
“It got some bump on it, but you now whatever we’ll check it form the cliff and see what’s what.” Replies Aaron.
Nearing Peahi – We pass big boards going the other way. Ben’s begins thinking of the rocks and the possibility of jumping from a different spot from where they normally. “Everything’s going to be different to what were normally use to. Everything’s going to be like timing off the rocks – Yeah it’s going to be big time timing!”
Ben claims “Fuck its going to be mental.” Aaron’s like “I feel like a kid all jittery before a day at the Bay, can’t sleep all nervous and stuff.” The boys both slept fine last night but the anticipation reminds them of being kids.
“There’s alot of heavy energy – its just going to be the wind bra,” claims Aaron. The boys don’t have a ski lined up so regardless they’ll be jumping off the rocks.
“It’s going to be interesting to see what this kind of swell does to the rocks – it could make it easier getting off the rocks and make it easier to paddle out the river” ponders Aaron. “You could probably just white wash it all the way up the river, it’ll just be a matter of how far up the river you go” replies Ben. Amused Aaron recalls, “Shawn Walsh got stuffed in a tree on a previous monster swell – He got put in one of the Hau bushes, he was fully wrapped up leg rope and all, but he was stoked, so happy just holding onto the tree bra. Guess were going to find out, this is what it’s all about – learning,” claims Aaron.
Phone calls and texts fly back and forth. Opinions and predictions flooding in – don’t go there; you should go here. People shooting to Mavs will tell you one thing then show up somewhere else – Today should be on at the Jaws.
1.5 miles towards the ocean down a dirt road parking is a free-for-all. Further down the dirt road people have fucked the parking, cars and people have jammed the dirt road. Making your way toward the bluff you see the cliff crammed with spectators.
The vibe once we got there was something like a music festival, bbq’s and music blaring. Even law enforcement had showed up in an attempt to establish some order but seemed more like they were just enjoying the show.
The helicopters, gasps of photographers and spectators on water, on land and in the air are just as deafening as the roar of the huge waves of Jaws.
Steep cliffs littered with spectators attracted to the intrigue of big waves. The dirt road gridlocked. A pilgrimage of spectators muddied and tired trekking up – tourists of all walks, all sizes, all races – the majority of them oblivious to the natural dangers that encounter your average tourist.
Taking up position in two deck chairs they had carried down the cliffs a couple on vacation are nearly washed from the rocks. A big, rogue wave gushes up the rocks and collects the oblivious holidaymakers – they are instantly bowled out of their chairs, face first, skittling from boulder to boulder. Ipads and iphones used moments before to capture their lunchtime setting now hurled into the pacific by the damaging white wash.
HE GOT PUT IN ONE OF THOSE HAU BUSHES, HE WAS FULLY WRAPPED UP LEG ROPE AND ALL, SO STOKED, SO HAPPY HOLDING ONTO THE TREE
You can see and feel the energy of the Peahi cove. A narrow strip of smooth washed boulders form the narrow strip of beach below. A fresh water river meets the cove at Jaws, the natural beauty of the cove disguising it’s natural dangers.
It’s big. It’s scary. The wind, the spray, the waves, the cliffs all this natural energy magnified in this beautiful cove. I’m quickly distracted by sights and sounds and lose my footing. I slip and take off sliding down the near vertical cliff face. I have my 600mm telephoto lens in my hand and manage to hold it in front sliding uncontrollably down the muddy face. I must find something to slow my dissent – I reach for a large stick and dig it in, it immediately snaps and shaves nothing off my momentum. My final option is to reach out for a tree root extending above the rocks below. I manage to put my arm in the root and halt myself locking in at the elbow I’m left hanging atop of the rocks below having somehow avoided losing my camera and certain injury.
I remind myself to pay attention and realise it’s not just the reef that can easily claim you at Pe’ahi.
Everything is intimidating in the cove, harsh and unforgiving. The steep cliffs dwarf the paddlemen from high above. Balancing on boulders the boys prepare their equipment, attach leg ropes, fitting inflatable vests beneath their wetsuits. Giant paddle boards for giant size surf. Everything in this picture is impressive.
The boys jump off the rocks to paddle out, it’s an unforgiving rock dance requiring commitment and perfect timing. Getting out on the rocks is even more treacherous – raw, big, fast-moving waves trying in vain to put you on the rocks.
If there is one thing about Pe’ahi and surfing Jaws I’ve seen, it’s that everyone eventually end up on the rocks.