Peahi connoisseurs knew that January 11 was going to be something special. It was the first XXL swell since the tragic passing of Jaws pioneer Marcio Freire in early January, and he was on everyone’s minds.
It looked as though it might be a little windy in the morning, but it was glassy. The sun broke over a building swell. Dolphins were in the lineup, a rarity at Jaws. Albee Layer, Billy Kemper, Torrey Meister, Tyler Larronde, Kai Paula, Paige Alms, Ian Walsh, Fransisco Porcella, Nathan Florence, Steve Roberson, Othmane Choufani, and many others were there, all channelling Marcio.
The wind picked up a bit, just a breath of an offshore. As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the 20-foot paddle waves grew into 30-foot, then 40-foot tow waves. It just got better and better and better until the wind ruffled the surface a bit. But still, the waves poured through, perfect as perfect can be. And to many in the lineup, there was no better way to honor the memory of Marcio Freire than being a part of a day like that.
