Gallery: Big Wave Women Take On Hawaii Outer Reef In Red Bull Magnitude
Photos: 2024 Red Bull Magnitude
Big waves, bigger performances. Now in its fourth iteration, this winter the Red Bull Magnitude, a specialty big-wave event, got underway with 24 of the top female big-wave surfers on the planet. With an event window running from January through February, the unique format is based on video submissions and puts the focus on Waimea Bay, Oahu’s Outer Reefs and Peah’i on Maui. Per Red Bull’s description, “film and safety crews will be provided at the three designated big-wave breaks on ‘Green Lit’ days.” The waiting period has now closed and it's in the hands of the judges. Before the winners are announced, here are a few photos from one special day at an outer reef on Oahu's North Shore.
Surfer: Emi Erickson
The contest window for Red Bull Magnitude kicked off on January 1, 2024, and ran through February 29, 2024. At the end of January, a solid northwest swell hit the North Shore of Oahu, giving competitors an opportunity to score some large, outer-reef surf. There are eight different award categories and a $50,000 prize purse, and with the event window now closed, there are some of the women that paddled hard, threw themselves over the ledge and changed the game.
Surfer: Skylar Lickle
There were 24 women in the event this year, including Maui's Skylar LIckle (pictured here). A rising star on the big-wave scene, her father, along with Laird Hamilton and the "Strapt" crew, was one of the pioneers of at Jaws, or Peah'i, back in the 1990s. Keeping the family tradition going, she had a great winter riding some really big waves.
Surfer: Raquel Heckert
Raised in Brazil, living in Hawaii, Raquel Heckert has dedicated her life to the big-wave pursuit. Chasing swells, island hoping around the Pacific, making sacrifices to be in the right place at the right time, it's taken a lot of dedication and sacrifice to get to where she's at, but it's moments like these out in the open ocean that make it all worth while for here.
Surfer: Dominique Charrier
Hailing from Chile, Dominique Charrier is part of a large international contingent in the Red Bull Magnitude event. With a lot of raw, South Pacific swell, exposed setups and a battle-tested big-wave tradition in her country, she's proved that you don't have to call Hawaii home to be a contender.
Surfer: Emi Erickson
"Big wave surfing continues to explore new frontiers that are only possible when resources exist to support the pursuit. Red Bull’s belief and investment in the growth and development of women’s big-wave riding is exemplary. I am incredibly honored to have the opportunity to play a small part in this history-making event that is dedicated to women." - Jodi (Wilmott) Young, Red Bull Magnitude Competition Director
Surfer: Silvia Nabuco
A woman of profound athletic talent, Silvia Nabuco is a champion runner, cyclist, windsurfer, and of course, big-wave surfing. Another surfer from Brazil, "I found surfing later in my life," she explains. "Curiously, I discovered that surfing was my real passion, specially when the waves get really big."
Surfer: Bianca Valenti
One of the matriarchs of the women's big-wave surfing movement, from Jaws, to Maverick's, to Todos Santos, Bianca Valenti has committed her life to not just surfing big waves, but also making them more accessible to other women interested in challenging the ocean. From water safety innovations to participating in events like the Red Bull Magnitude, she's a surf to many for good reason.
Surfer: Sarah Neukomm
There aren't a lot of big-wave surfers from Switzerland. Sarah Neukomm is one of them. Learning to surf in 2016, she's let her passion for the sport take her to places she could have never dreamed. Less than 10 years into the game and she's already riding some of the biggest waves on the planet.
Surfer: Emi Erickson
With the holding period in the books, it's now time to start judging the Red Bull Magnitude. That responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Rochelle Ballard (Head Judge), Ian Walsh, Kai Lenny, Andrea Moller and Megan Abubo. A lot riding on their decisions, the overall champion wins $20,000.
Surfer: Raquel Heckert
Red Bull Magnitude winners will be announced at an awards ceremony this month. Stay tuned for complete results and more coverage.
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With more than 25 years of writing about surfing, the ocean and action sports, Jake Howard continues to share stories, profiles and issues that shape the surfing world. One of the premier subject-matter experts in the field today, he's savvy in the ways of print, digital and social media, his breadth of work is expansive. Getting his start writing Surfline surf reports and recording the phone reports for 976-SURF in the late '90s, Jake served as the managing editor for Surfer Magazine in the early 2000s before moving on to launch RedBullSurfing.com and cover surfing for ESPN and the X Games. Over the years, Jake has also enjoyed time behind the edit desk at The Surfer's Journal, as well as the World Surf League, where he worked as the Senior Editor for a number of years. Beyond producing editorial content, Jake has served as a digital marketer and copywriter for iconic surf brands such as Quiksilver, Roxy and Rip Curl. Writing thousands of pages of copy for Surfline, he has deep SEO experience as well. The surf columnist for the San Clemente Times, Jake continues to dedicate himself to the culture and history of the sport through his involvement with the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente.