Page 4 - MidWeek West - Feb 2, 2022

4
FEBRUARY 2, 2022
Aloha surfers and beachgoers,
I have to say it again: Wow, what a season of surf!
BY GARY KEWLEY
Surf Remains Enormous; Medina Takes A Break
I’ve lost exact count but, in my gut, I’d give us an av- erage of two to three swells per week for the past two to three months. It’s been nearly nonstop with tons of warn- ing level swells, too. Waimea pumped to 20 feet, even near 25 feet on a few waves on Jan. 22. All the big guns were out, like Kelly Slater, John John Florence and others. So, stay waxed and ready to rumble. We still have all of February, which is one of the big three months for extra large surf.
needed to give mother nature enough time to deliver the goods. Well, she did and right on time! It’s also the first time in history that the Billabong Pro Pipeline is starting off the WCT year versus finishing it in December as part of the Vans Triple Crown. Indeed, so much has changed.
women the chance to go for it and pushing the boundaries of women’s surfing. Surfing is also the first major sport to give female pros the same pay as men. We can and should be proud of our sport of kings and queens.
onship Tour. I had every in- tention of competing for the full season, had made all the preparations medically — I took my COVID vaccination during my holidays — and mentally and physically. But I’m not in a place where I believe I can perform against the world’s best surfers right now and I need to focus on my well-being. I don’t know how long it will take, but I aim to return to the champi- onship tour as soon as I am ready,” he said.
“a roller coaster of emotions.” You may also recall that our very own current world champ and Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore took a year off in 2020. This proved to be perfect timing with the shutdown due to COVID. She came back in 2021 and won
off at University of Hawai‘i Kennedy Theatre the last weekend of January and has three more shows this week- end, Feb. 4-6. It’s a wonderful tribute to Eddie Aikau and adapted for young audiences, but it’s really good for all ages and all families. Author/play- wright and former Hōkūle‘a crewmember Marion Ly- man-Mersereau was on that fateful voyage in 1978. Just search the internet for “Eddie Wen Go” for tickets and I’ll see you there.
GQ, droppin’ in 4 U!
gary@surfnewsnetwork.com
The other big news is that the World Championship Tour kicked off Jan. 29 at the Banzai. A brand-new solid triple-plus overhead north- west swell greeted day one. The 13-day holding period is
When Pipe’s doing its thing, it spits chunks after det- onating on the shallow volca- nic reef. So, it is truly break- ing ground for sports — and equality in general — to allow
“The past few months have been a difficult time for me personally and it has taken a toll. As such, I’ve decided to withdraw from the start of the 2022 WSL Champi-
Here’s how we
The other historic news is this: all WCT women are equal competitors in this illus- trious event.
Another bite of big break- ing news is that on Jan. 24 the current reigning world champ, Gabriel Medina — Brazil’s first world surfing champ in 2014 — announced he’s taking an indefinite leave from competition. This is huge. Medina is pretty much the best competitive surfer in the world. His performances last year were astonishing and his title campaign was indis- putably dominant.
her fifth world title.
Us regular folks can’t grasp
Pipeline, as we know, is a death-defying wave. At one time, before the 1950s, few, if anyone, thought it was ride- able — male or female. Pipe was first ridden in December 1961, over 60 years ago, by Phil Edwards.
“At the end of the season, I was completely exhausted,’ he added, describing the year as
what world-class athletes en- dure, but surfing is a great healer and I’m sure Medina will be in the water a lot. He’ll come back stronger than ever.
Eddie Wen’ Go: The Story of the Upside-Down Canoe, a tribute to Eddie Aikau, will take place Feb. 4-6 at University of Hawai‘i Kennedy Theatre. Pictured are Elizabeth Gannaway, Lily Hi‘ilani Kim-Dela Cruz Okimura, Isaiah Avilla, Alison L.B. Maldonado and Iana Weingard. PHOTO COURTESY CHRISTINE LAMBORN
Also, don’t miss Eddie Wen’ Go: The Story of the Up- side-Down Canoe. It kicked
fight omicron.
Get boosted, get tested and keep taking precautions.
HawaiiCovid19.com
A message from the Hawai‘i State Department of Health.