South Shore Swell Of The Summer Mason & Michael Ho surfing Ala Moana Bowl on the South Shore of Oahu It’s been a little over a week since the biggest swell in years lit up the south coasts of Hawaii’s various islands, and now that the mist has settled we have the opportunity to look back and consider everything that happened. Here on Oahu, the swell was so big and south that many spots that are normally epic weren’t working at all. At the same time, other reefs that are normally close-outs saw rifling, 6- to 8-foot barrels! 😱 Bowls was big, of course, as were many spots in the Ala Moana and Waikiki area, but some of the most exciting sessions went down at spots that we don’t normally see break, including a mysto big wave spot near the airport that saw 8- to 10-foot sets surfed by a handful of the North Shore’s best big wave crew. Photo Credit to Kelis Kaleopaa Reports from the outer islands were stellar as well, with rare gems lighting up on the Big Island and Maui. Interestingly, though, Maalaea didn’t end up breaking, disappointing the local crew who was likely hoping to...

Ala Moana: The South Shore’s Performance Surfing Center If Waikiki  is the center of longboarding and surf lessons on the South Shore, the Ala Moana is the local, shortboarding zone. Located just west of Waikiki, Ala Moana features a high density of quality reef breaks stretching from Kewalos all the way through the beach park to Magic Island, and then across the channel to Bowls and Kaisers. Whether you are looking for rights, lefts, barrels, turns, or even an exclusive bodysurfing wave, Ala Moana has it all.   In addition to lots of waves, Ala Moana also has lots of history. Local legends include Davey Boy Gonzales, the Mike and Derek Ho, and Jeannie Chesser. And of course Gerry Lopez grew up surfing Ala Moana. Most people only think of Lopez as Mr. Pipeline, but he was actually born in Honolulu and surfed the waves in Town when he was a kid. He ended up winning the state championships at 14, and by that time he was honing his style at Bowls and starting to take trips out to the Country, where he eventually developed one of the most celebrated relationships with Pipeline of any surfer alive! The beauty of...

The Making of the Waimea Bay River Break 📷 @vwhonolulu Most of us here in Hawaii have seen footage of the standing wave at Waimea Bay, which forms when the river flows out of Waimea Valley and breaks through the beach. Have you ever wondered when and how that standing wave forms, or how long it lasts? We did some research into the formation of the “Waimea River Break,” and what we found out was actually pretty unsurprising. First of all, Waimea Bay is one of the biggest waves on the North Shore—this isn’t really news to anyone. Over the summer and winter, sand gets moved around the North Shore by currents and waves (again, not exactly revelatory news), and since Waimea Bay has some of the biggest waves and strongest currents on the coast, it is no surprise that sand builds up on the beach, making it a great place for people to enjoy the sun, watch people charge huge waves in the winter, and jump off the famous Waimea Jump Rock during the summer. Most of us also realize that winter can be a bit rainy on Oahu—When the rain really gets going, Waimea River starts to flow...