The latest vlog post from Koa Rothman started off in his familiar stomping grounds of Rocky Point. From there, he made a quick jaunt over to Haleiwa for a punishing surf that made him retreat back to the (relative) safety of Rocky Point.
The Haleiwa session in particular looked pretty brutal. Though Rothman is a North Shore veteran and frequent Pipeline charger, he was visibly frustrated after coming in from the surf. “Haleiwa is like a Rubik’s cube of a wave,” he explains. “You’re doing the Rubik’s cube and have no idea how to complete it. It’s non-stop warble and chop, the strongest current, and you can get the beatdown of your life.”
During all of that, though, fellow local John John Florence seemed somehow undaunted. His ability to find lines among all that chop and foam was truly a testament to his raw talent and ability, as Rothman was the first to admit. “The only person, I think, that can actually surf this wave, when it’s this size and this out of control, is John,” he continued. “I couldn’t find a wave to save my life. The waves I went on were the only waves I was remotely close to being able to catch. I just came in. It’s not worth the beating to me right now.”
Then, adding insult to injury, John’s brother, Nathan Florence, ripped across an equally treacherous Haleiwa bomb. Afterwards, Rothman turned back to the camera and sheepishly added, “I guess Nate can surf this wave, too.”
