I'm not 100% sure who this was a couple days before the Eddie... Kai Lenny was giving a talk at the resort the following day, Jamie O'Brien runs his camp out of there, and a ton of big-wave pros were in town, so it could've been anyone. I shot this from the balcony with an iPhone. Sweet view, right out the sliding door! I was forced to go to Hawaii for some work... it was a tough job, but somebody had to do it, haha. But I had an amazing time on the North Shore with my family, hanging out around the world's best surfers. The swell was maxed out the entire visit, so I only got a couple of waves. I THOUGHT staying in the Turtle Bay Resort would offer up some protection from the giant swell, but it was gigantic everywhere, and packed with professionals.
Being a spectator in Hawaii during the North Shore season was pretty incredible. Seeing these amazing waves break, up-close and personal, with extreme high level surfing, by the best rippers on the planet... it was a sight to behold. I'd been to the North Shore before, but never during this time of the year. And with the running of the Eddie Aikau for the first time since 2016, the hustle and bustle in the area was at an all-time high. I'm not even sure what we do on the east coast can be called "surfing" after seeing what I saw during my ten days on Oahu in January. The seven-mile stretch is in fact the ultimate proving grounds for the kings and queens of our sport... and I am in awe of their power and beauty. Mahalo, for an amazing trip Hawaii!
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