Caution: High Surf Warning

The waves are huge right now on the North Shore. Winter is North Shore surf season... funny to see these massive waves up here when all summer long Waimea Bay is like a gorgeous calm blue lake that is an ideal place for swimming. Here's a video of the waves today that I stole off YouTube. You can see that the waves are breaking way far out so they don't look as big in this video as they do in person, but if you look closely you can see a couple very teeny tiny little guys trying to ride the waves, unsuccessfully for the most part.

Here's another one I found on You Tube... this is from 2007 but probably a better look at the waves in better conditions. Those surfers still didn't appear to be too successful.

I think I'm going to take Moana up to check out the surf tomorrow. They say it will be even bigger tomorrow than it was today... something like 50 foot faces. That's just Nuts. Scott told me to check the traffic report on the way up because it's possible the road may get washed out with waves that big. I'll have to be prepared for crazy traffic- it's just a little two lane road up there (where we ride our bikes most of the year) and apparently there were thousands of people there today trying to get a peek at the waves. Clearly there will not be a place to park the car, but I'm thinking I'll take the BOB up and park a few miles away and run the rest of the way to Waimea to check it out.

The Eddie Aikau surf competition may happen tomorrow. It hasn't been held since 2004- they only have it if/when waves heights reach 30+ feet and the wind conditions allow for it. Clearly tomorrow will be big enough but if the wind doesn't cooperate then the waves will just be too messy and dangerous to send even the best in the world out. Scott has told me a lot about this competition over the last couple of days... apparently Eddie died a while back (lost at sea) and this competition is in his memory. You've probably heard the quote (or seen the bumper sticker), "Eddie would go." Anyway, it's an invitation only event... only the best pro and big wave surfers can participate... they can't use jet skis or anything to get to the waves... they have to paddle out themselves. Crazy. Anyway, Scott said all the best surfers in the world are hanging out on the North Shore right now just itching to go try to catch those waves.

Here's a live video feed of the waves at Waimea. Check it out if you're bored at work. That's what all the local surfers here will be doing instead of working tomorrow. That is, if they don't call in sick.