few hours later. The swells originate in the North Pacific Ocean
and travel hundreds of miles, unobstructed, until they reach the
shore of Oahu. The fast moving water rises above the shallow
reefs, sometimes in only a few feet of water, creating a hollow
tube. Surfers from all over the world travel to ride these spectacular
waves, risking life and limb to connect with the tremendous power
of the ocean.
“You are always going to be scared,” Brown says. “If you can’t
admit to yourself that you are scared, you are not being fair to
yourself. You’ve got to understand that you are always putting
yourself into a life and death situation when it gets big out there. It
is no joke.”
One day this winter, Yonkers and Brown paddled a mile out to
sea to catch a wave breaking on the outer reef of Oahu. There were
no boats nearby and no jet skis to assist them. All they had to rely
on was the power of their arms and the raw energy of the ocean.
The waves surged with 30- to 40-foot faces. With 20 other surfers
at sea, they rode one of the most powerful displays of natural force.
“You always have that same anxiety,” Mincher says, thinking
back to the first time he paddled into the North Shore waters. “It is
everyday. Nervous. Anxious. Excited — all of this into one feeling.
That never goes away, but you do become more comfortable with
where you are.”
Undertows, rip currents and high surf advisories are common
in Oahu. Experienced surfers may make the waves look fun, but
one wrong move and a wave can pummel you toward the ocean
floor, holding you down.
“Fifteen seconds is a long hold down there,” Mincher said.
“Those seconds go by really slow.”
“There are situations where you have to remind yourself to be
calm,” Mincher continues. “You can’t panic, there is no time for that.”
The waves breaking along the Seven-Mile Miracle provide a
chance for surfers to measure themselves against nature, to test
what they are made of. Every drop-in has the potential to unlock
a new world of possibilities. Every fall is a chance to learn from
mistakes.
28
WBM march 2012
Clockwise from this
photo: Crowd gathers
to watch surfers on the
North Shore. Oahu’s
North Shore. Jon
Mincher catches air.
Hibiscus flower. Rob
Brown carves the face
of a wave. Mark Yonkers
kicks off the wave with
a frontside grab.