We showed up in the dark, knowing it was a full-on “hurry up and wait” type of situation. That’s standard and didn’t faze us. My alarm was set for 3 a.m., and we were set up in our zone by five.
We knew that this Jaws swell was going to fill in all day, and that potentially, the best session could come right at sunset. It was due to pick up very quickly around noon, but with such a quick rise I thought it could even show up a little early. At first light, there were surprisingly more waves than expected – it was the very beginning of the swell, looking to be about 10-12-foot at 6 a.m., which was a great sign for the day. One thing I did know is that over the next six hours and with the next tide switch, this swell was going to be nearly 20-foot, Hawaiian.
Thankfully, things worked out as we predicted. The wind remained light all day and the swell filled in very quickly. Before we knew it, it was noon, and the waves were pumping.
All the “normal” players showed up for a fun XL season opening session, but standout rides came from four-time Pe’ahi Challenge champ Billy Kemper, who snagged an insane midday paddle barrel, as well as Francisco Porcella packing what may be the best backside paddle barrel at Jaws to date. Albee Layer showed up and got his too, scoring a nice clean barrel. Other standouts included Paige Alms, Keala Kennelly, Ian Walsh, Ridge Lenny, Kai Lenny, Tyler Larronde, Jojo Roper, Steve “Baby” Roberson, Trevor Sven Carlson, Austin Kalama and many others. That being said, a very special shout out goes to bodysurfer Kalani Lattanzi, who became the first bodysurfer to get barreled at Jaws. It was truly amazing to watch him push the limits while sitting deep on the inside.
As the sun faded into the horizon, it was nearly time to pack up and leave.
We received word from Martin (Kai’s Dad) that Kai was going to tow a few more and “had a surprise.” I don’t know about you all, but when Kai is surfing Pe’ahi and has a surprise, you never know what to expect. But one of the most beautiful things happened. While being towed by his brother Ridge, Kai waited for the right wave, and upon pulling inside the barrel, he uncorked what appeared to be a flair… with pink smoke! It took a second to connect, but it became clear when Martin hopped back on the radio excitedly exclaiming, “girls!” Many have seen the news on social media about Kai and Molly Payne preparing to have twins, but that might have been the coolest gender reveal ever! Twin girls! Congrats to the whole Lenny ohana.
Editor’s Note: Find more from Aaron Lynton on his YouTube page.
