Otherwise known as “Jaws”, Peahi is a water athlete’s ultimate proving ground in Maui. And like no other season I have witnessed in the past seven years, Peahi has been lit on fire on this El Nino winter. With consistent twenty foot plus swells hitting Maui’s northshore, we’ve had a weekly train pull into that magic bay and water athletes from around the globe have jumped aboard the rides of their lives out there.
On December 8, 2009, I have never witnessed so many spectators on the cliff – at least a hundred rental cars lined Hana highway even! I’m usually on a ski in the channel or being whipped into some of the smaller bombs out there, but with a busted ear drum and a pulled lat muscle, I’ve been out of the big swells for the past two months now. I was humbled on the sidelines taking video footage from the cliff. I am putting together a mini documentary of “Jaws” this season that I plan to post when the swells and my editing wraps up.
I’m stoked to say that I finally got pulled into some “smaller” waves out there on Sunday. The women were totally representing! Keala Kennely and Paige Alms showed up and were fearless out there with all the guys! And of course Andrea Moller, just back from her month long trip to Brazil showed up shining, despite jet leg and a recent 48 hour shift as an EMT! Again blowing doors on all the guys!
Here’s a slide show of one of my exciting rides that morning. I was outrunning an avalanche of whitewater thundering behind my head that literally took me 10 feet away from the escort boat with my photographer! Thanks again to Nicole Sanchez for your amazing photography! Her photos can be viewed at Behind the Lens Maui