what about "riding giants" amazing history of big wave surfing....

[saxophonist56]

i didn't realize mavericks was so close and important.

the guy who conquered the wave in tahiti was just SICK...!

is he still the best?

also cool that guy who surfed mavericks solo for 15 years before anyone else realized how huge the wave was.

[bleomonkey]

I love that movie. Have you seen Step into Liquid?

[Shreve]

Greg Noll, but Jeff Clark at Mavericks has some large cajones, also. No fear! :bow

[Donnie B.]

also cool that guy who surfed mavericks solo for 15 years before anyone else realized how huge the wave was.

I got to meet him at a golf tourney this past summer. Very cool dude!

[BMF Effects]

Riding Giants
Step Into Liquid
Dogtown and the Z-Boys
Rising Son: The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi

All very good movies and usually with great soundtracks.

[Mastervolume]

My brother in law is one of the guys in clarks crew @ mavs. He lives for that wave. Crazy.... I have seen the footage and have to tell you that until you see that wave break in-person you haven't seen it. It is crazy.

[RichieRich]

point break = bliss.

enough said.

[Southbay Ampworks]

I just watched this movie the other day. Laird Hamilton was the guy who rode that wave near Tahiti called "Choku", and got "tow in" surfing really started. Greg Noll was the Waimea wave guy who had the jailhouse black & white striped shorts, and pretty much led the big wave surfing thing in the 60's.

Step into Liquid is another good one.

[Bones]

As far as I'm concerned, Laird Hamilton is a fraud and has ruined pure big wave surfing. If you have to get towed in, you are not surfing and jet skis do not belong in the lineup.

[Southbay Ampworks]

As far as I'm concerned, Laird Hamilton is a fraud and has ruined pure big wave surfing. If you have to get towed in, you are not surfing and jet skis do not belong in the lineup.

If you're talking about doing it all manually, maybe. But as they say in the movie, a 30-60 foot wave moves faster than you can paddle into it, so I understand why they use the jet ski...I'll bet they surf a whole bunch more waves being towed in than paddling, too.

[blood5150]

This was good too... about the rise and fall of Mark "gator" Ragowski...

Pro skater for Vision.. got on drugs.. killed his girfriend... now in prison...

http://www.amazon.com/Stoked-Rise-Gator-Mark-Rogowski/dp/B000127ZDM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1225293280&sr=1-3

[Bones]

If you're talking about doing it all manually, maybe. But as they say in the movie, a 30-60 foot wave moves faster than you can paddle into it, so I understand why they use the jet ski...I'll bet they surf a whole bunch more waves being towed in than paddling, too.


that's not the point of surfing though.

[Mastervolume]

that's not the point of surfing though.

what is the point of surfing?

[TungstenAmp]

what is the point of surfing?

To enjoy yourself. At least that was the point when I was doing it.

[PedalFreak]

Riding Giants
Step Into Liquid
Dogtown and the Z-Boys
Rising Son: The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi

All very good movies and usually with great soundtracks.

All great movies!

All I can say about tow surfing is "Eddie Wouldn't Tow" :bow That guy paddled into those 30-50' waves! How, I don't know. I think it was giant brass balls.

[Bones]

what is the point of surfing?

For me it's a minimalist experience, you against the wave, harnessing the raw natural energy and getting a natural high free of internal combustion engines and exhaust.

[Bones]

...you have got to be kidding me...tell that to Laird's face...:roll

...you cannot paddle into many of these huge open ocean waves because they're too big and they're moving too fast...old timers had to ride "big guns" just to catch the waves in Hawaii...then they are riding a board with very little little maneuverability...


...whats the biggest wave you've paddled into on Long Island? 6 to 8 feet?

...a human cannot paddle into a open ocean wave that big and catch it...the jet ski is used so that they can catch the wave and position themselves so they are not killed going over-the-falls...

...some guys ride a boat 100 miles off the coast of San Diego to a "break" called Cortez Banks...it's like an underwater mountain...it would be nearly impossible to catch that wave on a regular board. That wave can get VERY, VERY BIG...like 50 feet plus...there are only a handful of guys who have the balls to even go out there...

...gimme a break...

18 feet confirmed.

[90wreck]

A little off topic.
I know nothing about surfing.
Is there a reason that none of these guys don't wear a life/ski vest when they surf?
Is it not manly, or is there some other reason?
I always thought if I ever tried it, I would want a vest on.

[marcher5877]

As far as I'm concerned, Laird Hamilton is a fraud and has ruined pure big wave surfing. If you have to get towed in, you are not surfing and jet skis do not belong in the lineup.


Does it matter?

Throw your lables away and maybe you will be able to share in some of thier enjoyment. If not, thats cool, just move on.

[Bones]

A little off topic.
I know nothing about surfing.
Is there a reason that none of these guys don't wear a life/ski vest when they surf?
Is it not manly, or is there some other reason?
I always thought if I ever tried it, I would want a vest on.

you need to be as neutrally buoyant as possible or even a little negatively buoyant in order to duck dive under the waves and to survive in the impact zone if you wipe out. Floating in a life vest gives you no control and you will be at the mercy of the waves. A good set of lungs and staying calm will help you more than anything.

plus and most importantly, you would look like a complete tool :D

[Bones]

Does it matter?

Throw your lables away and maybe you will be able to share in some of thier enjoyment. If not, thats cool, just move on.


It's my opinion, I'm pretty sure I'm entitled to it. You don't have to like it, you can just move on your bad self.

[90wreck]

plus and most importantly, you would look like a complete tool :D
I thought that might come into play.
Thanks..I never knew.

[jrm]

Growing up in San Diego I always enjoyed beig gat the beach and watching all the awesome surfing down there. I heard all the time about people wanting to go out to Cortez Banks and saw enough video that I knew those guys who surfed those had big steel cajones. I'll have to check out thee movies.

[Bones]

I thought that might come into play.
Thanks..I never knew.


Some guys who surf the big stuff do carry those little spare air oxygen bottles in case they get held down by a big set.

[John Alexander]

18 feet confirmed.

...sorry, I don't believe you...based on your ridiculous comments about Laird Hamilton...I need to see a photo of you on that 18 foot wave and it has to clearly show that it's Bones riding the wave...where was this? Montauk? You know how that translates in Hawaiian speak...8 foot:roll

...you are making some bold statements, my friend!

[John Alexander]

Growing up in San Diego I always enjoyed beig gat the beach and watching all the awesome surfing down there. I heard all the time about people wanting to go out to Cortez Banks and saw enough video that I knew those guys who surfed those had big steel cajones. I'll have to check out thee movies.

...Randy Laine is generally considered the first guy to ride a jet ski out into the open ocean to both catch and ride waves...he was doing this back in the late 70's...when jet ski's first hit the scene...

check this out: http://www.allaboutsurf.com/articles/laine?pg=3

...I don't know if Laine rides Cortez Banks on a board, but he does on a jetski...at 70 feet plus!

[Bones]

...sorry, I don't believe you...based on your ridiculous comments...I need a photo and it has to clearly show that it's Bones riding the wave...where was this? Montauk?

...you are making some bold comments, my friend!

Not a lot of people with cameras on the outside bar off Tiana Beach in 1985 before Hurricane Gloria hit, just a handful of hardcore surfers.

[John Alexander]

Not a lot of people with cameras on the outside bar off Tiana Beach in 1985 before Hurricane Gloria hit, just a handful of hardcore surfers.

...hey...just jazzin' you...you better not be pulling my leg!:D

...how did you manage to paddle through the hurricane soup to get into the "lineup"?

...I don't like big, big waves...it's a huge commitment to willingly want to be a ragdoll!:roll

[PedalFreak]

...and who the heck are you to make such a statement? 99.99999% of Earthling's watch guys like Laird from the safety of the beach...so are you going to tell Laird to get out of the lineup?

:roll

...you cannot paddle into many of these huge open ocean waves because they're too big and they're moving too fast...old timers had to ride "big guns" just to catch the waves in Hawaii...then they are riding a board with very little little maneuverability...watch films of Greg Nolls famous wave...he makes it to the bottom and then just hangs on...modern tow-in boards are much shorter and enable the surfer to maneuver...these guys are "carving" giant S turns and getting barreled on waves that your house would fit into! They need that capability on big waves because falling isn't always an option...

...whats the biggest wave you've paddled into on Long Island? 6 to 8 feet? How often do you paddle out?

...a human cannot paddle into an open ocean wave that big and catch it...the jet ski is used so that they can catch the wave and position themselves so they are not killed going over-the-falls...

...some guys ride a boat 100 miles off the coast of San Diego to a "break" called Cortez Banks...it's like an underwater mountain...it would be nearly impossible to catch that wave on a regular board. That wave can get VERY, VERY BIG...like 50 feet plus...there are only a handful of guys on Earth who have the balls to even go out there...Laird is one of them...you are not.

...to say that a true badass like Laird Hamilton shouldn't be in the lineup is comical...gimme a break...

...also, the famous reef break in Tahiti called, "Teahupoo," is basically breaking on a dry reef...there are times when it's so big, steep, gnarly and barrell-ly that an old-school approach would be a deathwish...


:agree

On another note, many people dont know this but "Laird Hamilton" in Hawaiian means "Surfer with big balls" :roll Wont catch me in those waves. I enjoy surfing, don't want to worry about the 50' wall of water behind me, if its going to come crashing down at any moment.

[hodad]

Billabong Odessy is another good one. It looks pretty scary on film, but when you're in the water the waves look about 10 times bigger. And you really can't concieve of the power until you've been over the falls twice on the same north shore wave (obviously under water the whole time) and believed you were at the end of your life.

Hey Bones, you should hit north shore sometime, bet you'd love it. I think you are more than entitled to your opinion and I would agree if someone was towing into 5 foot waves. But you just can't catch those giants on a small board w/o some help. I think Laird is amazing, but he's not the only guy doing amazing things.

[John Alexander]

Billabong Odessy is another good one. It looks pretty scary on film, but when you're in the water the waves look about 10 times bigger. And you really can't concieve of the power until you've been over the falls twice on the same north shore wave (obviously under water the whole time) and believed you were at the end of your life.

Hey Bones, you should hit north shore sometime, bet you'd love it. I think you are more than entitled to your opinion and I would agree if someone was towing into 5 foot waves. But you just can't catch those giants on a small board w/o some help. I think Laird is amazing, but he's not the only guy doing amazing things.

...you've got some mackers in Oregon too! I went over to Seaside/Astoria once and it was huge....HUGE...HUGE!

...and COLD!

[Bones]

...hey...just jazzin' you...you better not be pulling my leg!:D

...how did you manage to paddle through the hurricane soup to get into the "lineup"?

...I don't like big, big waves...it's a huge commitment to willingly want to be a ragdoll!:roll


It was not easy, especially on short boards, I was riding a custom made Lance Collins board at tbe time, i think it was about 6'10" with one of those really loud 80's airbrush jobs. There was at that time a very deep stretch in between the inside and outside bars, probably about 500 yards offshore and took quite awhile to get out there. Out of about 10 or so guys starting out, i think 6 made it. The shorebreak was the worst and the current swept a lot of guys way down the beach.

I was in good shape and not afraid of anything back then, so throwing myself off the roof of a two story house as it collapsed behind me didn't seem that crazy at the time and i'm glad I did it. Luckily I made every drop and was able to ride the waves out to or at least bailout over the backside if I had to, which was quite an experienc in itself.


Obviously I have rubbed some people the wrong way with my opinions on this. Obviously what hamilton does takes some 'nads, but it's an entirely different sport as far as I'm concerned and it had "inspired" a lot of lazy people to do some really stupid crap at normal every day surfing spots. Ther's almost no place left where you can just go soul surfing and have some peace anymore.

[John Alexander]

It was not easy, especially on short boards, I was riding a custom made Lance Collins board at tbe time, i think it was about 6'10" with one of those really loud 80's airbrush jobs. There was at that time a very deep stretch in between the inside and outside bars, probably about 500 yards offshore and took quite awhile to get out there. Out of about 10 or so guys starting out, i think 6 made it. The shorebreak was the worst and the current swept a lot of guys way down the beach.

I was in good shape and not afraid of anything back then, so throwing myself off the roof of a two story house as it collapsed behind me didn't seem that crazy at the time and i'm glad I did it. Luckily I made every drop and was able to ride the waves out to or at least bailout over the backside if I had to, which was quite an experienc in itself.


Obviously I have rubbed some people the wrong way with my opinions on this. Obviously what hamilton does takes some 'nads, but it's an entirely different sport as far as I'm concerned and it had "inspired" a lot of lazy people to do some really stupid crap at normal every day surfing spots. Ther's almost no place left where you can just go soul surfing and have some peace anymore.

...try surfing between Baja and Los Angeles...I live in Encinitas/Leucadia CA and there is no break where someone else isn't already out there...several hundred thousand surfers in a 100 mile stretch......there are so many surf schools popping up that us locals started complaining about all the kooks getting in the way...so the city coucil is regulating them.:D

...there are still unknown breaks, but they are probably in cold-water areas like the Pacific northwest...South Africa...South Amercia (Chile)...the North Sea:D

...Costa Rica...80+ degree water...

[kurtsstuff]

Double overhead is about my threshhold.....and even that is sketchy at best

[Bones]

BTW, "Big Wednesday" is the greatest fictional surfing movie ever made.

[John Alexander]

...the biggest rideable surf I've seen around here lately was in December of 2005...there were maybe 10 foot+ sets (Hawaiian-scale= 4 to 6 feet:D)

...hardly anyone could get out...I saw one guy get towed out by a lifeguard!:D

...Black's Beach and a couple of the reef breaks in La Jolla and the Sunset Cliffs area are rideable when it's massive...everytime this happens, guys get in trouble and have to be helped out by water rescue...sometimes they drown and these are not Hawaiian-style big waves either...that's a whole 'nether ball game...I'd rather play guitar then prove my manhood!

[Bones]

...the biggest rideable surf I've seen around here lately was in December of 2005...there were 8 to 10 foot sets (Hawaiian-scale:D)

...hardly anyone could get out...I saw one guy get towed out by a lifeguard!:D

...Black's Beach and acouple of the reef breaks in La Jolla and the Sunset Cliffs area can still be rideable when it's massive...


See this is the thing with Hamilton that bothers me. Yes, he's riding really big waves and it is dangerous, but to me it's stunt they came up with because how many more videos can you sell of guys riding Pipeline or any of the famous tropical reef breaks? To compare what they are doing to surfing 8-10 foot beach or reef breaks and in the process diminish the very heart of surfing is wrong. IMHO. Getting out to the lineup is the very thing that seperates the men from the boys at a lot of local spots, there's the guys who fight their way out and the guys that stand there bitching about how it's too big, too small, shoulda brought the gun, should brought the potato chip, brought the wrong wax and so on. Once you introduce motorized vehicles, it's a new sport or activity.

[John Alexander]

BTW, "Big Wednesday" is the greatest fictional surfing movie ever made.


...I love that movie...Jan Michael Vincent before he became Mickey Rourke!:roll

...that's a John Milius film, I believe...

...now "Ride The Wild Surf" is hilarious...Fabian as a big wave daredevil!

...I love those jumpcuts when the scene changes from close-ups of the "surfers" shot in a soundstage in Hollywood to a shot showing some real surfers (probably Greg Noll) in the water...always cracks me up!

[John Alexander]

See this is the thing with Hamilton that bothers me. Yes, he's riding really big waves and it is dangerous, but to me it's stunt they came up with because how many more videos can you sell of guys riding Pipeline or any of the famous tropical reef breaks? To compare what they are doing to surfing 8-10 foot beach or reef breaks and in the process diminish the very heart of surfing is wrong. IMHO. Getting out to the lineup is the very thing that seperates the men from the boys at a lot of local spots, there's the guys who fight their way out and the guys that stand there bitching about how it's too big, too small, shoulda brought the gun, should brought the potato chip, brought the wrong wax and so on. Once you introduce motorized vehicles, it's a new sport or activity.

...I don't look at surfing that way...it's about having fun, imo.

...but I think you have to understand that riding huge open ocean waves is not the same as paddling into big waves that break close to shore...

...it's like heli-snowboarding in Alaska...how are you going to get up on top of an isolated mountain in the middle of winter without a helicopter? How are you going to catch a wave breaking miles from shore that is moving that fast...can't be done...

...I agree, it's a different sport...it's like controlled chaos or controlled survival...

[GCDEF]

Now they have this new place called Cortes Bank 100 miles offshore that has the potential to be bigger than jaws. 100 foot waves are possible. Supposedly, this wave had an 85 foot face. These guys a nuts.

http://bp0.blogger.com/_1Lr2R8I4M3w/R4Ux_D6VxrI/AAAAAAAAAvY/wd1BS8TUrfw/s1600-h/big-wave-540x380.jpghttp://bp0.blogger.com/_1Lr2R8I4M3w/R4Ux_D6VxrI/AAAAAAAAAvY/wd1BS8TUrfw/s1600-h/big-wave-540x380.jpg

[Mastervolume]

I surf.

I live in huntington beach ca.

I respect guys that paddle in at Mavs and on other big waves.

I think that tow in surfing is something that I will never do because I don't want to ride a wave that is too big and fast to paddle into.

I respect guys that have the nads to.

Laird has paddled into enough waves bigger than should be humanly possible. He is a great ambassador for the sport. I wouldn't call him out for any reason.

it is a slippery slope.. what is next complaining about these new fangled styrene and fiberglass boards? Real surfers only use wood......

Yes you are entitled to your opinion but you don't have to worry. I don't think that laird will be bringing his jet ski to your break anytime soon.

[Bones]

Yes you are entitled to your opinion but you don't have to worry. I don't think that laird will be bringing his jet ski to your break anytime soon.


No, but I did meet his future wife at a beach volleyball tournament here, that was alright :bow

[GCDEF]

I surf.

I live in huntington beach ca.

I respect guys that paddle in at Mavs and on other big waves.

I think that tow in surfing is something that I will never do because I don't want to ride a wave that is too big and fast to paddle into.

I respect guys that have the nads to.

Laird has paddled into enough waves bigger than should be humanly possible. He is a great ambassador for the sport. I wouldn't call him out for any reason.

it is a slippery slope.. what is next complaining about these new fangled styrene and fiberglass boards? Real surfers only use wood......

Yes you are entitled to your opinion but you don't have to worry. I don't think that laird will be bringing his jet ski to your break anytime soon.
This is Laird's most famous wave. The amount of water in that thing is staggering.

http://www.sheilaomalley.com/archives/laird_hamilton_teahupoo.jpg

[kurtsstuff]

Surfing is hard to explain but to me.....When I paddle out,All of lifes B.S. goes away, job,girlfriend, etc..and yes..even music...Sometimes even on a flat or nothing day I'll paddle out just for the escape...

[jzgtrguy]

Step into liquid and Riding Giants are great films.

Here is a link to some guys surfing a break in Tahiti called Teahupoo. Absolutely one of the sickest waves I have seen. certainly not the biggest but it is so thick and throws out farther than it is tall. It is at a river mouth and the fresh water kills the coral making a channel where the guys on the boats hang out. Since the water is deeper in the channel the swell is not slowed down there and the bread actually bowls out (curves) Click here! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9nR90ee-bM)

[Southbay Ampworks]

I'd love to surf a huge wave like Laird does, whether it requires a jet ski to tow me in or not...talk about a rush!

[John Alexander]

Step into liquid and Riding Giants are great films.

Here is a link to some guys surfing a break in Tahiti called Teahupoo. Absolutely one of the sickest waves I have seen. certainly not the biggest but it is so thick and throws out farther than it is tall. It is at a river mouth and the fresh water kills the coral making a channel where the guys on the boats hang out. Since the water is deeper in the channel the swell is not slowed down there and the bread actually bowls out (curves) Click here! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9nR90ee-bM)

...that made the hair on my arms stand up!:eek:

...on that wave, sometimes it doesn't look like it's going to be so big and heavy until it pitches and the bottom just falls out...it is so insane...someone should try to find the picture of the dude going over-the-falls on a jet ski!

[John Alexander]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Pw7vKtqpo&feature=related

...@48 seconds into the video...Laird gets airborne...it must take great leg strength to keep from falling when you are going that fast...he's a big dude too...6'3" or bigger...yet the waves dwarf him...

[saxophonist56]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Pw7vKtqpo&feature=related

...@48 seconds into the video...Laird gets airborne...it must take great leg strength to keep from falling when you are going that fast...he's a big dude too...6'3" or bigger...yet the waves dwarf him...



that is pretty sick. so can you see mavericks from shore and is it only in the winter? so november thru march? when is the competition...?

[The Doper]

I've never surfed but I watch any and all surf movies. I can watch them for hours.

[michael.e]

There are many, many ways to harness the raw power of waves. The waves that the boys are towing in to are not for paddle in surfers.

Look up "Ghost Tree". Seriously mysto spot. Also "Big Flat" and "Cortez Bank".

No matter how you do it. Just commit..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/bigdrop.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/570_westozbombiepicsord_20075311141.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/mosambique1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/Jaws.jpg
Oops!!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/SharkIsland.jpg

Brass Balls...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/laird_hamilton_teahupoo.jpg The first time I ever saw this pic, I literally got queasy.. Look how thick that lip is!!!! This spot breaks below sea level...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/bigsurf2.jpg

This one is insane! Gives you a glimpse of just how big the drop really is..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/big_wave.jpg

OB up in San Francisco does OK for itself.. These waves are at least 3X as big as cars..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/486-24_OB_Huge_ws.jpg

[daddyo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfIQw_v5CSs&feature=related

[bigkahuna2u]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-MPHrfHpc0&feature=related

[UndergroundVint]

I surf.



Laird has paddled into enough waves bigger than should be humanly possible. He is a great ambassador for the sport. I wouldn't call him out for any reason.


Yes you are entitled to your opinion but you don't have to worry. I don't think that laird will be bringing his jet ski to your break anytime soon.


Bingo. And I'm sure he still paddles out to more big waves than the non-tow in guys do anyway.

[michael.e]

Bottom line is that Tow Waves and Paddle In Waves are different beasts. When it is too big to paddle, you tow. That is the general consensus around here.

When the movie "Enter the Drag-in" premiered in Capitola, I spoke to Pete Mel after not seeing him for about 10 years. His buds and my buds were all East Side guys hanging out at "The Hook" when it was still a two way street. Anyway, he said that he still loves paddle in surfing, even surfing small swells, just as much as ever. It is all part of the same experience, all part of life.
Just like some guys play Strats and Pauls, some gig, some play for themselves at home, some play for free...

It's all good.

[Mastervolume]

OB up in San Francisco does OK for itself.. These waves are at least 3X as big as cars..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/486-24_OB_Huge_ws.jpg

My Daughter surfs there regularly now. She is as SF state. Tells me it is huge but a lot nicer to get into than when socal gets the same size. She is still leary about paddling out at mavs though her unkle keeps trying to drag her.

[jzgtrguy]

...that made the hair on my arms stand up!:eek:

...on that wave, sometimes it doesn't look like it's going to be so big and heavy until it pitches and the bottom just falls out...it is so insane...someone should try to find the picture of the dude going over-the-falls on a jet ski!

I've seen that vid. The jet ski almost hits a surfer in the head. It goes right over his head!

[michael.e]

My Daughter surfs there regularly now. She is as SF state. Tells me it is huge but a lot nicer to get into than when socal gets the same size. She is still leary about paddling out at mavs though her unkle keeps trying to drag her.

I was never in as good of shape as I was when I surfed OB regularly. The paddle-outs are very long on a good swell. One of the best spots I have ever surfed in California period, and I have been surfing around here for at least 24 or so years.

That said, there are many great spots down the way between OB and Waddell Creek/County Line.

[John Alexander]

I've seen that vid. The jet ski almost hits a surfer in the head. It goes right over his head!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IrcNWFtsKU

...@1:15...:messedup

[Fantom1]

Say what you want about tow in surfing, but Laird Hamilton is probably one of the most influential surfers there ever was (for better and worse---how many kooky paddle surfers have popped up at your break because of him???). Also, there's a lot to be said for being an all around waterman and not just a surfer. imo.
Also, lt's Teahupo'o, not "Choku." :jo

[larc]

See this is the thing with Hamilton that bothers me. Yes, he's riding really big waves and it is dangerous, but to me it's stunt they came up with because how many more videos can you sell of guys riding Pipeline or any of the famous tropical reef breaks? To compare what they are doing to surfing 8-10 foot beach or reef breaks and in the process diminish the very heart of surfing is wrong. IMHO. Getting out to the lineup is the very thing that seperates the men from the boys at a lot of local spots, there's the guys who fight their way out and the guys that stand there bitching about how it's too big, too small, shoulda brought the gun, should brought the potato chip, brought the wrong wax and so on. Once you introduce motorized vehicles, it's a new sport or activity.

Do you use a leash? By your point of view, people shouldn't use leashes either. Going leashless seperates the men from the boys, right?

[aquadog]

I also loved Thicker Than Water.


Just an overall really enjoyable movie to watch

[bigkahuna2u]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IrcNWFtsKU

...@1:15...:messedup
Yeah... can you imagine getting nailed by a jet ski in the head into a forced wipe out on that wave!

[Bones]

Do you use a leash? By your point of view, people shouldn't use leashes either. Going leashless seperates the men from the boys, right?


A leash is a safety issue for other people in the water and required in many places, it also is a low emissions device. If there's no one around, i will take the leash of and work on riding switchfoot.

[bigkahuna2u]

Do you use a leash? By your point of view, people shouldn't use leashes either. Going leashless seperates the men from the boys, right?
Don't cha know Bones is THE spokesperson for all surfing. :NUTS

I mean who does that Laird guy think he is anyway!

[Bones]

Don't cha know Bones is THE spokesperson for all surfing. :NUTS

I mean who does that Laird guy think he is anyway!

Did I say i was? No I didn't. I merely stated my opinion on the topic. It's the opinion of someone sick and tired of assholes trying to emulate everything they see on TV and YouTube out in the line-up even though the conditions don't merit motorized assist.

[larc]

A leash is a safety issue for other people in the water and required in many places, it also is a low emissions device. If there's no one around, i will take the leash of and work on riding switchfoot.

True, but Leashes can be a hazard too. They also kill people (e.g., Mark Foo at Mavericks)

Another bad point about leashes is they have a tendancy to provide people with a false sense of security (they don't need to be strong swimmers).

Reading your comments, I really don't think you understand most big wave surfers and what big wave surfing is all about.

[scoob]

I think I've seen this before...is this where that one dude EDIT: LAIRD HAMILTON(I'm sorry I forget his name, but Vedder hangs with him - blond guy) rides out into the middle of the pacific (or do they drop in from a helicopter?) and rides these humongous waves? or is that a different movie?
Also Dog Town and Z Boys is a great movie. The doc, not the theatrical one...

EDIT: I don't think the one I'm thinking of is the same...

[candh]

Say what you want about tow in surfing, but Laird Hamilton is probably one of the most influential surfers there ever was (for better and worse---how many kooky paddle surfers have popped up at your break because of him???). Also, there's a lot to be said for being an all around waterman and not just a surfer. imo.
Also, lt's Teahupo'o, not "Choku." :jo

Hold on there fella....I'm a paddle surfer..(2 time champion, I might add)....who ya callin a kook??:p

For the most part kayak surfers are a little kooky but not all of us are. I live 100ft from one of the best point breaks in Japan when the swell is pumping and we all get along nicely enough. I am considered a "local" though.

[NitroLiq]

My Brother gave me a a couple windsurfing videos that were pretty sick. I Think one was called Total Insanity and has a bunch of South African Grunge/punk music throughout. There's this sick bit with Legend Robby Naish surfing "Jaws" in hawaii....freaking wave is over 3 masts tall. I'd be pissing my wetsuit.

[BobbyFudge]

BTW, "Big Wednesday" is the greatest fictional surfing movie ever made.

Hey Bones do you know a guy named Joel Bass? I think he's living in Long Island. He was a teacher of mine at Art Center and also one of the original surfers in the early sixties on the west coast. He knew all the guys who the movie was based on and he said it was bs too.

[aeolian]

For me it's a minimalist experience, you against the wave, harnessing the raw natural energy and getting a natural high free of internal combustion engines and exhaust.
I guess this is the difference in the Hawaiian attitude. I learned to surf with the wave. The minute you think you're bigger or badder than mother nature, hello! I've seen my life flash before my eyes caught inside at Sunset. And gone back out again. The days of the Parish Bolt and Aipa Sting for Kaisers are long behind me but I still try to get out and feel the communion with the water from time to time.

[John Alexander]

Hey Bones do you know a guy named Joel Bass? I think he's living in Long Island. He was a teacher of mine at Art Center and also one of the original surfers in the early sixties on the west coast. He knew all the guys who the movie was based on and he said it was bs too.

...the original surfers on the west coast have been there long before the early 60s...probably 1930 or later...one of my neighbors is a guy named Kit...he's almost 80 now and has been surfing in California his whole life...he knows a lot of the early big-wave pioneers too...most of them were guys from California...they started living on the North Shore of Hawaii beginning in the late 40s...basically camping and living off the land and going where no man has ever gone before...many of those surfers were used in those Hollywood films...

...check this out: http://archives.starbulletin.com/2008/04/20/news/story03.html

"In 1943, Brown and his friend Dickie Cross were surfing 20-foot waves at Sunset when the surf rose to 40 feet, trapping the friends at sea. They paddled to Waimea Bay thinking they could come in there, but Cross didn't make it through the breakers at Waimea.

Surfers avoided Waimea Bay for nearly 15 years afterward."

...those movies are cool and entertaining from a historical perspective...just not realistic!

[Jahn]

This is Laird's most famous wave. The amount of water in that thing is staggering.

http://www.sheilaomalley.com/archives/laird_hamilton_teahupoo.jpg


That thing looks like Triton ready to swallow him up and deliver him to Hades. If he had to take a boat drag to get into that maw, I understand - to experience something like that, where there is no other way to get in there, why not get a tow? I don't care if it's called surfing or seatugging, the experience must have been insane.

[Betos]

No Bones about it - someone doing something in the lineup that endangers others should not be tolerated - be it some fools trying to learn tow-in on a crowded break, or a local thinking because he surfs there so often, he has the right to drop in on any one in any wave at any time.

BUT - don't blame Laird for the actions of others - he's doing what he does; pushing himself and the envelope of the sport.

Oddly enough I was at a screening of Riding Giants with both Greg Noll and Jeff Clarke. Here's what Greg had to say about tow-in surfing, and would he have done it had it existed during his time:

"I just wanted to surf those waves, no matter what it took to get into them. I don't care if they had to shoot me sideways out the ass of an elephant!"


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/499889/betos_n_bull.jpg.JPG

~Betos

[michael.e]

No Bones about it - someone doing something in the lineup that endangers others should not be tolerated - be it some fools trying to learn tow-in on a crowded break, or a local thinking because he surfs there so often, he has the right to drop in on any one in any wave at any time.

BUT - don't blame Laird for the actions of others - he's doing what he does; pushing himself and the envelope of the sport.

Oddly enough I was at a screening of Riding Giants with both Greg Noll and Jeff Clarke. Here's what Greg had to say about tow-in surfing, and would he have done it had it existed during his time:

"I just wanted to surf those waves, no matter what it took to get into them. I don't care if they had to shoot me sideways out the ass of an elephant!"


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/499889/betos_n_bull.jpg.JPG

~Betos

Haha, you can see Jeff in the backround.. With 'da hat.

He is always wearing beanies..

[michael.e]

That thing looks like Triton ready to swallow him up and deliver him to Hades. If he had to take a boat drag to get into that maw, I understand - to experience something like that, where there is no other way to get in there, why not get a tow? I don't care if it's called surfing or seatugging, the experience must have been insane.

Aside from the heinous amount of water dumping over your head, one of the things that makes this wave so dangerous is that you must pick your line VERY carefully. This wave is very square at the base and you have a very very small line[surfing area] that you can acutally use. Ride a tad too high and you WILL get pulled over the falls as the water is moving in such huge amounts. Ride just a tad too low and you are in the "flats" and you will lose all speed, thus getting dumped on AND THEN getting sucked up over the falls.
Staying in the zone that is that neitherworld, is about more than simply making the wave, it could mean your life.
This is what I mean....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/untitled-2.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/SqTea.jpg

If you blow it....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/1348357862_f51fe9be85.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/ouch.jpg

And this is what you get pile-driven in to....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/335412999_5a1e01b14d.jpg

Some perspective of the break...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/teahupoo02.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/teahupoo.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/teahupoo01.jpg

[MBreinin]

This was good too... about the rise and fall of Mark "gator" Ragowski...

Pro skater for Vision.. got on drugs.. killed his girfriend... now in prison...

http://www.amazon.com/Stoked-Rise-Gator-Mark-Rogowski/dp/B000127ZDM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1225293280&sr=1-3

Damn, I had a Vision Gator board in around '83-'84. It was an awesome board with a trippy vertigo graphic.

Mike

[Bones]

Some perspective of the break...


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/teahupoo.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/M_E113123/teahupoo01.jpg

To be honest, even at my best, I do not think I would have paddled into something like that.

[BobbyFudge]

...the original surfers on the west coast have been there long before the early 60s...probably 1930 or later...one of my neighbors is a guy named Kit...he's almost 80 now and has been surfing in California his whole life...he knows a lot of the early big-wave pioneers too...most of them were guys from California...they started living on the North Shore of Hawaii beginning in the late 40s...basically camping and living off the land and going where no man has ever gone before...many of those surfers were used in those Hollywood films...

...check this out: http://archives.starbulletin.com/2008/04/20/news/story03.html

"In 1943, Brown and his friend Dickie Cross were surfing 20-foot waves at Sunset when the surf rose to 40 feet, trapping the friends at sea. They paddled to Waimea Bay thinking they could come in there, but Cross didn't make it through the breakers at Waimea.

Surfers avoided Waimea Bay for nearly 15 years afterward."

...those movies are cool and entertaining from a historical perspective...just not realistic!

Lol...I knew you'd catch that...I was refering just to the time period of the movie and not the pioneers of the 30's&40's...

[aeolian]

Wow, that's a bowl! How many folks ate it trying to find a line that would get out before it came over? Looks like you can't even get out the back as it probably pitches all at once.

[Chris Scott]

Cool! ...a surf thread on TGP!

Just got out of the water - the river that runs just south of one of the local spots here was INSANE the other day after a massive dump up the mountain, and today the sandbar shaped up real nice - 1 foot overhead on the sets, muddy (but clean at least) water, and Malibu-like perfection, and what do I see but sick drop after sick drop on The Gear Page...

I grew up in Malibu, and Matt Kivlin, Woody Brown, as well as Dora and the crew were part of my childhood and the whole "what's cool and what's not" deal was a big part of it as well. Down here guys are towing into chest-high slop in Hermosa (3 min. down the road) and it's easy to laugh at 'em sometimes, but as long as they don't do it where people are paddling in, I don't really give a sh!t. Just go surfing, and shut up about it is my pov I guess...

My buddy Charlie Kuhn was motoring past me the other day at Hermosa, and asked me if I wanted to give 'er a try, and I declined as I was on a LONGBOARD, for cryin' out loud (it was pretty small)

- I mean, what if somebody had seen me....:eek:

Like Da Bull said, whatever gets you into it...:banana

[saxophonist56]

an australian forgot his name rode a "40 foot" wave. looked liked laird hamilton's famous ride...the crest was insanely thick. merideth v. suggested he stop riding the huuuge 40 foot wave because it's too dangerous. of course he would not. what's the scoop on this wave?



http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/27661957/

[southpawmax]

Over the summer I saw like 4 hours of big wave surfing documentaries on Fuel TV. Its some awesome stuff!

[TRIODEROB]

As far as I'm concerned, Laird Hamilton is a fraud and has ruined pure big wave surfing. If you have to get towed in, you are not surfing and jet skis do not belong in the lineup.


yea the guy is a bum


http://www.popartuk.com/g/l/lgph0182+laird-hamilton-rides-a-wave-at-peahi-santa-monica-riding-giants-poster.jpg

[UndergroundVint]

To be honest, even at my best, I do not think I would have paddled into something like that.



Oh no? How modest of you.


If Laird friggin' Hamilton is getting towed into it then you, by definition, are not capable of paddling into it.

[jzgtrguy]

Oh no? How modest of you.


If Laird friggin' Hamilton is getting towed into it then you, by definition, are not capable of paddling into it.

I hate to state the obvious but that is why they two.

[larc]

an australian forgot his name rode a "40 foot" wave. looked liked laird hamilton's famous ride...the crest was insanely thick. merideth v. suggested he stop riding the huuuge 40 foot wave because it's too dangerous. of course he would not. what's the scoop on this wave?



http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/27661957/

It's called Shipsterns Bluff (Australia). There's a tricky double up section where the wave sucks out again (mid-face). See post #53...Big Kahuna posted a link to a video clip (first wave in the video is Shipsterns). Here's another clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGF_b1cYmF8

I only know Shipsterns from comments and videos. I'm guessing the break consists of a shallow shelf in the middle of deep water. So we're talking deep water hitting a shallow shelf, then getting deep again. The wave Laird caught in Tahiti is deep water hitting a shallow shelf that gets even shallower as you move inside. Both deadly.

I admire these guys. All the near death experiences I've been through makes me respect them more. Respect Mother Ocean.

[saxophonist56]

It's called Shipsterns Bluff (Australia). There's a tricky double up section where the wave sucks out again (mid-face). See post #53...Big Kahuna posted a link to a video clip (first wave in the video is Shipsterns). Here's another clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGF_b1cYmF8

I only know Shipsterns from comments and videos. I'm guessing the break consists of a shallow shelf in the middle of deep water. So we're talking deep water hitting a shallow shelf, then getting deep again. The wave Laird caught in Tahiti is deep water hitting a shallow shelf that gets even shallower as you move inside. Both deadly.

I admire these guys. All the near death experiences I've been through makes me respect them more. Respect Mother Ocean.


i guess that's why he got sucked down so deep he thought he couldn't find the surface.

i really want to go see mavericks in person......from the shore!
when does it get big? or do you just monitor it on that mavericks site?
Is there a certain date when it gets big?

[michael.e]

i guess that's why he got sucked down so deep he thought he couldn't find the surface.

i really want to go see mavericks in person......from the shore!
when does it get big? or do you just monitor it on that mavericks site?
Is there a certain date when it gets big?

Get on Surfline. It will tell you when the swell is up. When the storms in the Aleutians throw weather down here, they kick up swells also that march down the coastline and across to Hawaii. These swells/storms are winter storms.

For the Pacific Northwest region........

Winter time- Swell direction is West/West-Northwest

Summer time- Swell direction is South/Southwest


When you see that a swell is marching in, you then check to see what the tide is doing and you will find the optimal time for surfing your chosen break, which happens to be exactly the same time you call in sick for work...
Funny how that always seems to coencide! :huh