Big wave surfing with a jet ski assist

Shawn Alladio · 12-03-2008, 11:43 AM

Big Wave Surfing With a Jet Ski Assist
12/02/2008

Paddling out to cruise some curls is good enough for most surfers. But a small set of extreme thrill seekers want more. They seek bone–crushing waves up to 50 feet tall. These are swells so big, they require a well–timed tow in from a jet ski and a quick pick up by the same. An offshore reef near Lincoln City, Oregon offers some of the gnarliest waves in the Pacific Northwest. Correspondent Tom Banse got a glimpse of tow surfing and bring us this report.

SPECTATORS TOTING BINOCULARS LINE THE BLUFFS, BALCONIES, AND LINCOLN CITY BEACH TO WATCH PRO SURFERS RIDE THE MONSTER WAVES ABOUT A HALF MILE OFFSHORE. RECREATIONAL SURFER ROBERT GROSSNICKEL OF BATTLEGROUND, WASHINGTON KEEPS HIS FEET FIRMLY PLANTED ON SHORE.

GROSSNICKEL: "The size of these waves is beyond anything I've ever surfed. I've surfed very near here, down the way, and I've been held under by waves one-third the size of these. It felt like my legs would be torn from my body."

LAST WEEKEND SAW AN UNUSUAL CONVERGENCE OF MILD WEATHER AND BIG WAVES. THE OPTIMAL CONDITIONS AND A COMPETITION CALLED ON SHORT NOTICE PROVED IRRESISTIBLE FOR DOZENS OF THE WORLD'S BEST SURFERS.

WORMHOUDT: "You're out in nature and it's exhilarating. There's challenges, both physical and mental, to make it happen. So it's just a great sport."

ZACH WORMHOUDT OF SANTA CRUZ IS CLAD HEAD TO FOOT IN A BLACK WETSUIT. HIS LIFE JACKET LOOKS MORE LIKE BODY ARMOR. HE'S BEEN CHASING BIG WAVES FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS.

WORMHOUDT: "The main risk would be drowning. The cause of that would be potentially just getting held under for a couple of waves at a time or hitting the reef on the bottom. Or a wipeout where the lip of the wave actually comes down and hits you while you're surfing and then you could potentially hit your board. There's a whole bunch of stuff that can go wrong at any given moment."

THAT'S ONE REASON SURFING IS NO LONGER AN INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT FOR THESE WATERMEN. IT'S A TEAM EVENT. ONE PERSON SHREDS THE WAVES WHILE A PARTNER DRIVES A JET SKI.

THE JET SKI COMES EQUIPPED WITH A RESCUE SLED AND A TOW ROPE. THAT MAKES THE DRIVER PART LIFEGUARD AND PART LAUNCH PAD. THE NAME FOR THE COMBINATION IS TOW SURFING – "TOW" AS IN T–O–W. ITS REGIONAL SHOWCASE IS THE NELSCOTT REEF CONTEST.

A FLOTILLA OF WAVE RUNNERS BOBS IN THE SWELLS AS THE ATHLETES GAUGE THE NEXT SET. THEN THE NEXT PAIR PEELS OUT TO CATCH ANOTHER WAVE. BRAZILIAN SURFER EVERALDO TEXEIRA WAS MOVING ABOUT 25 MILES PER HOUR WHEN HE LET GO OF THE TOW ROPE AND DROPPED INTO AN EPIC SWELL.

TEXEIRA: "When you get a jet ski, it's easier to get in the wave. You can surf with smaller surf boards than you surf when you paddle."

THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE ON A SMALLER BOARD YOU CAN MANEUVER BETTER ACROSS A TOWERING WAVE FACE.

THE FIRST TOW SURFERS SHOWED UP ON THE OREGON COAST A LITTLE MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO. THE PHENOMENON IS NOW GETTING STARTED OFF WESTPORT AND OCEAN SHORES, WASHINGTON. LINCOLN CITY SURF SHOP OWNER JOHN FORSE JUST HOSTED HIS FOURTH TOW IN CONTEST.

FORSE: "I saw an opportunity for Lincoln City to be put on the world stage in surfing. Definitely in surfing, when you hear Lincoln City or Nelscott Reef everybody knows where it is."

AT THE NELSCOTT REEF CONTEST, THREE AMATEUR TEAMS FROM OREGON WENT UP AGAINST WORLD CLASS SURFERS FROM CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, AUSTRALIA, AND BRAZIL. COMPETITOR JUSTIN HOWARD OF TILLAMOOK EXPECTS TOW SURFING TO GET BIGGER HERE.

HOWARD: "Sad to say, I don't want it to. But it will. I mean just because it gets more crowded and more dangerous. It's hard to enjoy yourself when you're worrying about a lot of other people and things."

ON THE OTHER HAND, ASSISTANCE FROM A JET SKI OPENS MORE TERRITORY TO SURFING. EXPERIENCED LOCAL RIDERS ARE EXPLORING AND TESTING THE BREAKS OVER OTHER OFFSHORE REEFS. A DOCUMENTARY ON THE LINCOLN CITY TOW SURF PIONEERS IS FORTHCOMING TOO, ALL OF WHICH SHOULD SOLIDIFY THE FOOTHOLD TOW SURFING HAS FOUND. I'M TOM BANSE IN LINCOLN CITY, OREGON.

© Copyright 2008, KUOW

Shawn Alladio · 12-03-2008, 11:47 AM

Tow-in Surfers No Longer Select Group
By Andrew Pereira

STORY SUMMARY>>>

As the popularity of surfing continues to soar and spots get more and more crowded, a growing number of surfers are seeking solace in Hawaii’s outer reefs.

Tow-in surfing used to be reserved to a select group of watermen, but in the past few years more wave riders are pulling themselves into huge waves with the help of a personal water craft.

"Once you're out there all those fears are left behind and all you want to do is get a wave," said Daniel Skaf, a tow-in surfer from Brazil who now lives on Oahu.

Skaf and his partner Buzzy De Mendonca were challenging waves in the 18 to 20 foot range outside of Alii Beach Park Tuesday at a spot known as Avalanche.

"As soon as you let go of the rope you never know what can happen," said De Mendonca, who also hails from Brazil and works as a lifeguard on Oahu’s North Shore.

De Mendonca and Skaf were among at least eight teams of tow-in surfers who launched their personal water crafts from Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor. They say the sport has grown so much in the past few years that on many days there is the real potential for catastrophe - and not just from the pounding surf.

“Just a few days ago a jet ski almost ran over my friend Edison and me,” said Skaf.

Since September of 2004 Hawaii has required all tow-in surfers to become certified or face possible fines. Surfers must complete a two day course offered by the state’s community colleges in order to get certified by the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, or DOBOR. The course instructs wave riders on safety measures and equipment and where tow-in surfing is allowed.

“The course is not going to teach you how to drive (a jet ski),” said De Mendoca, “but is going to teach you respect.”

According to DOBOR, 765 people completed the tow-in surfing course as of March of last year.

However some tow-in surfers like Travis Whittmeyer feel the certification process does not go far enough. "You should have to do a water course,” said Whittmeyer. “I mean it should be measured against your waterman's ability not just your ability to retain intellectual information.”

De Mendonca and Skaf say they train year round for the opportunity to ride large outer reef waves during Hawaii’s big surf season, typically October through April. However both men say not all tow-in surfers are fully prepared to face the power of a 20 foot swell.

“Many times we go out and seems like many people don't have that training,” said Skaf.

Before Skaf and De Mendoca began towing into huge waves more than a quarter of a mile out to sea, they spent many days paddling into extra-large surf at Waimea Bay and other North Shore spots.

“Paddle in big waves first and then jump in for tow-in,” said De Mendoca.

“If your Jet Ski fails,” added Skaf, “you'll have to swim to the beach.”

Andrew may be reached at apereira@khon2.com or ph. 591-4263.
Story Updated: Dec 2, 2008 at 6:30 PM HST

http://www.khon2.com/home/ticker/35448454.html

seats · 12-03-2008, 11:55 AM

Where are the freakin' pics?????!!!!!!!!!!!