New Nazaré highlights haven’t swamped our news feeds just yet. We did get one swell day to ease into the winter at Maverick’s however. And now that Jaws just notched an XL day on the 2021/2022 season calendar, we can all settle into the reality that a new big wave season is officially on.
Last week’s opening day at the famed Maui wave was a doozy. Billy Kemper looked as good as ever there. Kai Lenny did Kai Lenny things, including a big wave gender reveal to celebrate the upcoming arrival of twin girls (say what you want about gender reveals, but a world-first on a 20-foot wave is going to turn some heads). Maui is even watching a rising homegrown talent grow up as we speak — teenager Steve “Baby” Roberson — who is about to add another season to his young resume, all before he’s old enough to start high school.
“At first light, there were surprisingly more waves than expected,” said Maui-based videographer Aaron Lynton, who’d woken up at 3 a.m. and was on the cliff by five to see this early-season swell arrive. “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.”
Big wave season is exciting. And so are wipeout reels from one of the heaviest places on the planet.
