25 November marked the start of the big wave winter in Hawaii. Of course, Jason Polakow in particular didn't miss out on the opportunity to try out his new Quatro and Goya equipment in front of Pe'ahi for the first time. The yellow sail with the Red Bull logo is still a somewhat unusual sight.
His former team colleagues Robby Swift and Morgan Noireaux were also there on Friday. Robby Swift wrote about the day: "It paid off to be patient. I waited quite a while between waves to catch the best sets and there were some pretty massive waves! There were some scary moments for sure, but the pure adrenaline mixed with fear and excitement is something you can't compare to anything else!!!"
Difficult conditions "like windsurfing motocross"
Several of the riders reported that the conditions were not easy: "It was like windsurfing motocross," said Levi Siver, describing the day. "You go full throttle to catch the wave, but just when you think you're in it, the wind plays games or the peak shifts." According to Ricardo Campello, one of the reasons for the difficult conditions was the sub-optimal angles of the waves and wind.
Takara and Hayata Ishii from Japan, who are still on the island from the Aloha Classic, were out in Jaws for the first time. "I'll never forget my first time at Jaws!" enthused Takara afterwards, despite a heavy wipeout. "I learnt so much and I realised once again how important safety and the right training are!" His brother Hayata is also still stoked: "Dropping into the wave was the best feeling in the world!"
Waterman Kai Lenny had one of the heaviest drops of the day. He was out tow-in surfing and was wiped out by the wave while trying a new trick.
At this point, you will find external content that complements the article. You can display and hide it with a click.
Kai was later able to show off his move after all, as you can see on his Instagram profile: A lightning-fast backflip directly under the lip of the wave.
All the windsurfers who were out on the day expressed their gratitude to the safety crews - and to the photographer duo Fish Bowl Diaries, who once again produced some stunning images!
After only a few good days in Pe'ahi last season, all locals are now hoping for lots of swells. The prospects for this are good, 2023/2024 is an El Nino year in which many factors could be in favour of unusual weather constellations.
Also interesting:
Tobias Frauen
Editor
