December and January were memorable months for Surfers on Maui due to the size of the surf. We had numerous high surf advisories resulting in more than a few high surf advisories and high surf warnings. A number of these larger days resulted in surf out at Jaws. A couple of the swells were of the extra large variety that attract surfers and surf photographers from around the globe. Billy and I had a chance to witness a couple of these days and we have posted a few of our own pictures of the action at Jaws. In addition to our own pictures, I have found a number of great sites with videos, pictures and stories from these memorable swells.
Here are some of the better Jaws Stories and pictures that I have seen from earlier this winter:
Entries into the Billabong XXL biggest Wave Awards
Stories and pictures from 12/15/04 Jaws Swell
Video of Laird and Company on 12/15/04
Extended Video from the 1/17/2005 Jaws Swell
More video of the 1/17/05 Jaws Swell
Shane Dorian Gets the Ride of the day on the January 17th Swell
Last but not least, Laird Hamilton is not only the best big wave rider in the world, he is also an innovator. Laird spices up a small day at Jaws by being the first person to be towed into a wave at Jaws by helicopter.
The swell is supposed to rise again tonight, but it is unlikely to reach Jaws levels. The higher trade winds that we have had over the last ten days or so has meant a lot of great action for windsurfers along Maui’s North Shore. While it is hard to forecast the ocean, there is a decent chance that we will see another Jaws Swell before the end of the winter surf season on Maui.
