Recent storms in the Pacific have seen big waves turning up on the shores of Australia and Hawaii this week.
Today at Waimea Bay on Oahu, the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational – which only goes ahead when waves are above around 30 feet – was run for the first time since 2009. And on the Gold Coast, breaks like Snapper Rocks and Burleigh Heads were having an epic day of their own with set waves around 8-10 feet.
In the two hours I spent at Snapper Rocks, I saw three broken boards and three snapped leg ropes, and one of the scaffold towers being constructed for the upcoming Quiksilver and Roxy Pro events was breaking apart.
There’s talk of ex-TC Winston reforming in the Pacific over the next few days, which should make the waves stick around for another week or so in time for the contests. You’d better believe I’ll be headed back down for a day or two once they’re underway.