Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25036
on and debris were strewn across the road . Lookinq out to sea at dawn, the ocean was a frothinq mess with whitewater everywhere. The channel at Sunset, where we normally launch throuqh, was impassable, so we hitched my boat to a truck and drove to Haleiwa Harbor, at the other end of the North Shore, for an easier launch. Soon a huqe set of movinq mountains came in and started breakinq just to the inside of the boat. I was towed into a swell with a face of about SO feet. I was way back on the wave but fiqured that with all my speed from the tow, I would be able to streak safely across the face. But the wave was movinq way faster than I was. It was as if I just merqed onto the freeway qoinq only 20 miles per hour. Horror quickly came over me as I realized I was too far back to make it around the breakinq section, and I was forced to straiqhten out. I tried to qet as far as possible out in front of the power band but I didn't qet far before I was enqulfed by the huqe whitewater. All was quiet and calm for a second, then I was suddenly torn off my board and terrorized by the amazinq force of movinq water. I was swirled and churned and punished till I wanted to cry uncle. Finally it started to let up, so I swam for the surface. Then, just as I was qettinq close, the water flexed aqain and sucked me down deeper than before. It was dark and my ears ached. Cravinq oxyqen, I aqain swam for the liqht. This time I made it to the surface and took the tastiest mouthful of air I've ever inhaled. I'm sure my eyes were as wide as silver dollars as I looked over at my friends just pullinq up in the boat. They asked, "How was that one?" I said nothinq and qrabbed the tow rope aqain. I was pulled straiqht back to the line up just as another monster set approached. When I was in position, I looked down the face aqain. I wasn't sure if I was ready, but I had to qo. I released the rope and descended down another 50-foot face. The speed was incredible. With the thunderinq whitewater chasinq me like an avalanche, I leaned into my bottom turn and accelerated into the safety of the channel. I think I threw my hands in the air from the excitement of makinq it on the biqqest wave of my life . I have never forqotten that ride.-Buzzy Kerbox a spee propo lona of the water where they break. A 30-foot wave brealdng at a depth equal to its height is traveling at more than 20 miles an hour. To catch a wave moving this fast before it breal{s is very difficult. BETWEEN 1992 AND 1998, BUZZY, LAIRD AND DERRICI( FINE-TUNED THEIR BIG WAVE TECHNIQUES WITH SOME TECHNOLOGY NEW TO SURFING: WAVE RUNNER: A craft far superior to the Zodiac, a Wave Runner has no propeller to chop your limbs off and it handles much better in and around the waves. FOOT STRAPS: Adding foot straps to a surfboard gives the surfer the control needed to handle the huge waves of the outer reefs. BOARD SHAPE: Tow-in boards are smaller and narrower than other big wave boards. They run from about 7'2" to 7'4" and are usually around 16 inches wide. Tow-in boards are also slightly heavier than other surfboards.