Big Wave at Pipeline

This photo was taken at 8 a.m. today (Jan 17).— a collection of boogie boarders and surfers sitting at the break at the famous Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore. I don’t understand the mechanics of surfing or wave picking at all. But it appeared to me that the wave was breaking a bit early. These guys seem unconcerned. They ride them up and down the other side like little ducks and every so often, when they decided the time is right, paddle like hell and ride laterally through the tube of water created by the break. Once a year or so someone gets killed. More often a surfer is bloodied. Young guys sleep on the beach so they can get an early start.
At Pipeline it seems like there is always one photographer for each surfer. And there are also dogs, often of the Labrador variety who play in the water, race with birds, chase lifeguards on their ATVs or just hang out. The show is great and it’s free. Last evening we sat at the bottom of the yard and with binoculars watched more surfers catching the wave at Waimea. That’s a different wave, bigger, deeper, with not much curl. At Pipeline the rider moves diagonally to the shore; the longer, usually higher Waimea wave pushes the board toward the beach. They were surfing when the sun went down and will be again before the sun comes up.