Gallery: Jaws Roars As Another Round Of Swell Lights Up Hawaii
Sending massive swells to Hawaii and California, the North Pacific has flipped the switch and turned on. The early frontrunners of that swell activity hit Pe'ahi, or Jaws, earlier this week and a cadre of big-wave surfers were on hand to take advantage. Not the biggest or most terrifying day at the famed Hawaiian big-wave break we've ever seen, what it lacked in size it made up for in clean conditions and rippable walls.
Among the standouts during the session were journeyman Ian Walsh, who's been on it all winter, as has Albee Layer, who would probably describe the day as being "playful." Also out there was teenager "Baby" Stevie Roberson, who captured the world's attention earlier this winter when he was towed into a bomb by local boy Tyler Larronde, who was also out styling on some solid set waves during this swell.
Dedicating himself to Pe'ahi since he was a teenager, Ian Walsh remains at the top of the food chain when it comes to his place in the Maui lineup.
Limitations be damned, adaptive surfer Evan Strong goes all in at Pe'ahi ... and pays the price.
This would constitute a small, inside barrel by Albee Layers standards. For the rest of is it would be the tube of a lifetime.
As the swell started to fill in young Steve Roberson and his brothers scored Honolua Bay, then as the size picked up it was back to Pe'ahi for more big waves.
Tyler Larronde with a little of that casual Gerry Lopez style as he cruises off the bottom.
Big wave water safety has come a long way in recent years thanks in large part to the dedicated crew at Pe'ahi that put their lives on the line to make sure everyone makes it back in safe.
Eyes down the line, foot on the gas, Maddix Alotis all business as he drives for the end bowl.
It's not all psycho drops and harsh wipeouts, there is a lighter side to Pe'ahi occassionally.
As timeless a big wave surf photo as you're going to find, Kai Paula might want to frame this one and hang it over the mantel.
Golden hour at Pe'ahi as Kelson Lau projects off the bottom.
The medal of honor for the day goes to adaptive surfer Evan Strong, who was charging with his prosthetic leg. He may have copped a beating or two, but his heart and courage stood tall as he fearless hurtled himself over the ledge. The adaptive surf movement has been steadily growing over the last few years, and Strong just took things to even greater heights. You love to see it.
There's a ton more swell on the way, and this session may have been more of a warmup than anything. As this gallery goes live the swell continues to fill in. Plus, there's another round of swell lining up for the week of January 8. It would appear the El Nino winter has fully kicked in.
Big ups to ace lensman Matt Cibulka for keeping his finger on the trigger and capturing all the action. Love your work!
Gallery: It's Not All 50-Foot Surf On Maui's North Shore
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.