Surfing Hawaii. Leonard Lueras
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in that wild movement, not buried and crushed and buffeted by those mighty monsters, but standing above them all, calm and superb, poised on the giddy summit, his feet buried in the churning foam, the salt smoke rising to his knees . . ."
Early authors who wrote about surfing used to describe surfers as men who could "walk on water." Nowadays, a cooler thing to do is to "walk on air", as five-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater does here in a recent airsurfing demo on Oahu's famous North Shore. Photo: Jason Childs
London's colorful descriptions are often credited with stimulating an overseas interest in Hawaiian surfing. This new enthusiasm was heartily supported by a new Hawaiian industry—tourism—which began extolling the virtues of exotic Hawaii in propaganda distributed throughout the world. To attract more visitors to the islands, local businessmen and government leaders were promoting the islands' hula-dancing, music and surfing as part of a glamorous, Hawaiian-style vogue.
Walking On Water
As a result of London's popular surfing story Brown Mercury, many individual surfers began to make a name for themselves. An Irish-Hawaiian Waikiki beachboy named George Freeth (1883-1919) was invited to conduct the first ever surfing demonstrations on the US mainland at Southern California's Redondo Beach. Freeth's West Coast promoters introduced him as an "aquatic attraction" and as "the man who can walk on water" In the wake of this publicity. Freeth remained in California for some 10 year. While he was there, he taught numerous people how to ride the waves.
Sadly, Freeth died young "as" the result of exhaustion from strenuous rescue work'' he performed on California's busy beaches. On the plaque beneath the bronze bust erected in his honor the "First Surfer in the United States" and as a person—of Royal Hawaiian and Irish ancestry—who "as a" youngster revived the lost Polynesian art of surfing while standing on a board."
Freeth's pioneering accomplishments on behalf of his people and their favorite sport -were, as Lieutenant King had said more than one hundred years earlier, "astonishing." Rut only five years after Freeth had turned California onto surfing, another young and talented swimmer-surfer suddenly appeared big-time on the international watersports scene. This man was Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, and he carried Hawaiian surfing to even greater heights by popularizing it throughout the world. He surfed before rapt audiences in many parts of America, and, in 1915, achieved a special renown by becoming the first person to demonstrate surfing in now surf-crazy Australia. Much more is written about the legendary Duke later in this book.
—Leonard Lueras
Slater's antics at left are reminiscent, in a balletic way. of the figure in this ancient Hawaiian petroglyph from the island of Lanai.
Yet another surfing triptych, this one about three decidedly different Hawaiian surfing situations. A rude North Shore pause (Top) is followed by what may evolve into an even ruder late Pipeline scratch-over (Center). Both of these precarious waves make way for good fun on a playful little sandbar (Bottom). Top and center photos: Jason Childs; bottom photo: Jeff Divine
Sunset highlights the mood in these two pictures. Top photo: Brett Uprichard: bottom photo: Dana Edmunds
In the islands it's inevitable that sooner or later you're going to get burned. One person's stoke, you see, is sometimes another person's bummer. Photo: Jeff Divine
OAHU
Introducing Oahu
Surfing's "Gathering Place"
The island of Oahu is known as "The Gathering Place" because of its longtime role as Hawaii's financial, social and political center. Its main port city and Hawaii's capital, Honolulu, the "Sheltered Haven," has always been of strategic importance both as a commercial and military destination because of the commodious size of its two beautiful harbors, Pearl Harbor and Honolulu Harbor.
Indeed, while Oahu is not the largest Hawaiian island, none of the Outer Islands is as developed as it is, and no other Hawaiian city approaches Honolulu in importance. This is probably why some 85 percent of Hawaii's population live on Oahu, and why most business and decision-making takes place in this so-called "Crossroads of The Pacific."
Not surprisingly, Oahu is equally important when it comes to surfing in Hawaii. While reasonably good surf can be found on all the Hawaiian islands, for some odd reason—perhaps as the result of a its special geological features—Oahu has also always been the prime gathering place for surfers in Hawaii.
The island of Oahu is without doubt the most surf-rich place in the Hawaiian chain (and perhaps in the world). It has the largest number and finest selection of summertime breaks in Hawaii (the Ala Moana Bowl and Number Threes are prime examples), and its North Shore beaches constitute what is arguably the finest single stretch of good surfing beaches in the world, with such spectacular surfing spots as Sunset Point, The Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay, to mention but a few.
And while Oahu is not a big island in terms of size, it is very Big Time when it comes to surf. It is the greatest surfing destination on the planet, whether you are a novice surfer or an accomplished waveriding veteran of North Shore winters past.
Oahu's "Town and Country" wave menu features the entire surfing enchilada—from smooth and shallow reef rollers that majestically fan into famous Waikiki Beach (perfect for beginners and experienced surfers) to pounding, body-whomping beach breaks (that fiercely snap, crackle and pop) to the most prestigious big-wave and tuberiding spots known to surfing man and woman.
Yes, it's all here, surf-sniffers, but for now—and for the sake of proper introductions—it is time for us to hele on (move forward) into the heart of this book, a magical mystery tour of Oahu that will attempt to familiarize you with the waves of the sleepy but roaring North Shore ("The Country"), the more urbane South Shore ("The Town"), the dry, wild and savage West Side (from Ewa to Makaha and on to Yokohama), and, finally, Oahu's verdant, windy and wet Windward Side. Aloha, brah! Time to move on, enjoy, and hopefully surf your butt off!
—Leonard and Lorca Lueras
Oahu is truly the gathering place, as you can see from this shot of a beachboy gathering in the heart of Waikiki. Photo: Brett Uprichard
A hilltop view of the Sunset Beach Arena on a good and not-too-crowded day. Photo: Art Brewer
Watch in awe as Ross Clark-Jones and Arnold Dowling take the plunge on a big Waimea beast. Photo: Jason Childs
Once you're in the Pipe, there's no turning back, even if it means annihilation. Chris Strother confronts a moment of truth. Photos: Jason Childs
OAHU
The North Shore
Surfing's