Sarah Hauser on the "Code Red" in La Perouse
You would think that by now everyone has seen so many pictures of big waves from Hawaii that not much can surprise us anymore. Well, actually. On the weekend of 16 and 17 July 2022, I realised that there is still plenty of room for amazement. Two months into the Maui summer - which usually equates to strong winds and no more swells from the North Pacific - the code red swell that had hit French Polynesia a few days earlier and sent the internet into a teahupoo frenzy hit the southern shores of the Hawaiian Islands, including La Perouse.
As I really wanted to see what kind of swell such a swell could produce, I drove south to the bay of La Perouse. I parked right next to Robby Naish's huge truck, said hello to US1111 (Robby's sail number) and the other windsurfers who were there: Jason Polakow, Michi Schweiger, Levi Siver and his brother Luke. Zane Schweitzer joined us a little later (he had to surf a few barrels first). You know you're in the right place when you see a celebrity crowd like that on the beach.
I rang my brother Luke and asked if he would come with me to La Perouse - I just didn't want to die alone. (Levi Siver)
"Damn! The rope on my extension is about to break... Oh well! Hopefully not today," Luke Siver calmly interjected as he finished rigging. If I didn't know that Luke turns up on the beach five times a year for the sickest sessions - and somehow always manages to showcase the craziest moves, I'd be worried. But I knew this was just another day for Luke. I had more of the, well, opposite problem: I had brand new equipment. A new Quatro board and a very special set of new sails. Why special? They're purple. Indigo, to be precise! A special colour to represent my main sponsor Medallia. This aesthetic detail is actually a big milestone for me. Oh, oh, don't break anything, I thought, as Luke and I shouted "Oh, my God!" as a huge set rose above the horizon - billowing into the bay and onto the lava rocks on the coastline with their kiawe trees full of thorns.
I had brand new equipment that was specially designed for my sponsor. My biggest worry was that I would destroy it in La Perouse. (Sarah Hauser)
The guys went out on 4.0 and 4.5, so I rigged my 3.4 S2 Dragon and jumped off the rocks in front of the car park between two sets and surfed high towards the wave. The wind was blowing strong and offshore over the jagged coastline of lava rocks, so it was gusty. Once outside, I see Luke heading for the first wave of a huge set. And I'm in the perfect position to catch the second wave. In the corner of my eye, I notice that Robby is also interested in this wave, so I increase my speed to show Robby my determination and my I've got it aura. In the other corner of my eye, I see that Polakov just manages to get over the first wave and will somehow survive the rest of the set. But enough looking. Now I'm riding down a wave that feels like a Jaws wave, taking advantage of every gust and keeping an eye out for nasty chop. Only there aren't any, the wave is smooth as a baby's bottom.
As I look behind me, I watch the huge barrel of turquoise and white water explode. It's frightening and fascinating at the same time. I take a split second to savour the moment to the full. Maybe something like this will never happen again, but I'm here now. I get off at the end of the wave and watch Jason Polakow time an aerial perfectly as I surf back out. The offshore wind almost blows Jason back behind the wave, but he somehow makes it back into the wave to cut another turn into the smooth wall. He looks so confident, I envy his talent and experience. He's even brought a dry bag with snacks and water attached to an anchor. A Polakov picnic, I think to myself. We cross each other on the outside and he shouts: "This is great fun!" I shout back, "RIGHT?! SO SMOOTH!" And also so scary, but I don't talk to Polakow about that.
The sets kept coming, some with two peaks, others with just one huge A-frame. As time went on, we got braver and braver with our timing. After a while, I could feel my arms getting very tired. If there's one thing a spot like La Perouse makes clear, it's that mistakes cost a lot here. The Hookipa rocks are soft and cosy compared to the sharp lava formations. A fall and broken gear would mean I'd have to swim a long way in the current to find the best spot to climb up the rocks without getting smashed by the shorebreak. Realising that I was getting to the point where I didn't have the energy to deal with a dicey situation, I decided to play it safe and go in. Zane, on the other hand, stayed out for a while until he rode a wave that he misjudged and got wiped out badly. I wasn't around to see it for myself - but rumour has it he found his board impaled in a kiawe tree branch after scaling the lava rocks reasonably intact. His session ended with a hike across the lava fields, which nobody wants to do barefoot back to the car park.
I am so happy that I have been in the right place at the right time so often in my life.
right place at the right time. (Robby Naish)
The next day we were back again, hoping for more of the sweet stuff. But the direction of the wind and the waves had changed slightly, so it was somehow impossible to get into the waves.
The south swell of the decade had appeared here almost out of nowhere - and had now disappeared again into the vastness of the Pacific. But we soaked up its energy, and that was worth all the "empty strokes" in the past.
Michi Schweiger's statement
We had been watching this south swell for a while because it had caused some huge days in Tahiti at the legendary spot Teahupoo and was featured a lot in the surf media and on social media.
South swells on Maui are always one of those things. Due to the offshore islands such as Big Island, Kaaholawe, Lanai and Molokai, you never know what will really arrive - depending on where you go.
For this swell, we considered flying to Oahu to take advantage of Diamond Head and the spots in the area. In the end, we stayed at home and drove to what is probably the most remote spot on Maui. You could almost say it's "the end of the road", as there are only off-road trails from there, none of which are normally accessible.
When we arrived, it was immediately clear that it was bigger than I had ever seen. The waves broke almost at the end of the lava peninsula, and the white water torn off the crest of the wave by the cross-offshore winds created a bright curtain that stretched like a dragon's tail behind each wave.
We then got down to business with 4.0 and 4.2 sails and had an unforgettable session together with Sarah Hauser, Jason Polakow, Levi and Luke Siver and Zane Schweitzer. With the offshore wind and the fast waves, getting on the wave is the biggest challenge. At the beginning, it's bouncing endlessly and the offshore wind wants to push you backwards off the wave. But as soon as you've made it through the initial phase of the wave, you get into a wind cover and can then make the most of the smooth surface of the waves.
In any case, it was a session that you won't forget for a long time - or ever!
On Sunday, we tried La Perouse again, but first had to wait because the access road was closed. Stones and scrap metal first had to be cleared away with bulldozers. Robby was early, he had made it before the barrier and was now able to enjoy a solo session. Unfortunately, we were all much too late, as the wind shifted to offshore and became weaker and weaker. So we simply contented ourselves with enjoying the natural experience while watching.
