Page 6 - MidWeek West - Feb 27, 2022

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MARCH 2, 2022
Aloha surfers and beachgoers,
Whoa, what a swell we had on Feb. 25. It’s just another episode that is elevating this season to icon- ic levels. We saw the low pressure coming almost a week before it got here. The beast of a storm spawned off Japan Feb. 20 and grew to some 40 feet and even 50 feet seas off Honshu, North Japan. You can thank the se- vere gale to hurricane force winds of 50-74 mph.
The other factor that leads to such extra large events is the storm’s track or direction across the Pacific. If a storm is tracking northeast off Ja- pan it’s heading up toward the Aleutians. Thus, it stays further away and the “fetch” of winds pointed at Hawai‘i won’t last as long. This means relatively smaller surf — and I mean relative- ly. This huge storm would have still probably produced 10-15-foot surf had it been tracking northeast, but it did not. What we saw was the low’s easterly movement — for a time — aiming almost right at us.
This produces what they call a “captured or follow- ing” fetch — when the track of the storm’s center is about the same direction as the surface winds aimed at Hawai‘i (the fetch). Re- member, low-pressure winds are counter clock- wise in the North Pacific Ocean, and high pressure is clockwise. The captured fetch resulted in allowing the seas (height) and wave
community here on the west side, to service to transporta- tion, to all the causes and the ripple effect that one man can have and touch so many lives, I’m grateful for that,” says Kaipo.
opportunity to showcase our beautiful Mākaha beach. It brings together the community — not just the Leeward side, but the entire island and interna- tional visitors. Culturally, it teaches the people to respect and mālama (care for) the ocean the Hawai- ian way,” says Brian Keau- lana, Buffalo’s eldest son and legendary waterman.
BY GARY KEWLEY
Buffalo Big Board Classic Has Multiple Surfing Types
The standup squatch division is one of the events in the Buffalo Big Board contest. It’s like standup paddling but on a giant body board. PHOTO COURTESY TERRY REIS
periods (breadth) to build to their full potential.
Long period swell is considered 17 seconds and up. Wind swell is about 8 seconds short, moderate is roughly 12-14, etc. This storm’s hurricane force created 25-second forerun- ners. That’s a ton of energy above and especially below the ocean surface. Think of a caboose of beach balls rolling in above and below the ocean surface toward Hawai‘i. The bigger the beach ball the bigger the swell, the bigger the result- ing waves on the reefs. All that pent up energy has no- where to go but up and over when it reaches the reef. A 20-second period open ocean swell can feel the bottom of the sea 1,000 feet
“In respect for our cultur- al heritage, we instituted a gratis system for contestants who wear the ancient Ha- waiian malo while surfing in an event,” says Richard “Buffalo” Keaulana.
GQ, droppin’ in 4 U!
below. Think about that for energy. I want some.
especially Mākaha.”
This year’s dedication
“This event gives the Leeward community an
gary@surfnewsnetwork.com
The Buffalo Big Board Classic features so many dif- ferent types of surfing. There are paipo boarding, alai‘a boarding, team body surfing, bully boarding, canoe surf- ing, standup squatching, tan- dem surfing and team stand- up surfing.
I look forward to seeing you out on the wild west side. Aloha and mahalo for sharing it with me in Mid- Week’s West O‘ahu Voice. Thanks also to Terry Reis for his images. He’s always on it. Check out surfshooter- hawaii.com.
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Stay tuned for the latest forecasts at surfnewsnet- work.com. Thanks also for your support of the team and sponsors. I’m stoked.
goes to the memory of An- thony “Ants” Guerrero. The surfer, family man and communitarian retired in 2010 as a former First Ha- waiian Bank executive. He was a powerful leader on the Wai‘anae coast.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we came back with perfection at Mākaha for the 45th annual Buffalo Big Board Surfing Classic. The five-day beach party/event went off on Pres- idents Day weekend and the following weekend.
Uncle Ants died in ear- ly April last year at 76. His famous son Kaipo has for years worked as a popular international World Surf League broadcaster. He is humble, energetic, gifted and loved around the world. You’ve got to believe his dad is proud enough.
The sun was out and the surf was up with perfect offshore northeast winds grooming the legendary line- up. Mother Nature always seems to say, “Hey, Buff, you da man! Thank you for all you and Momi have done for our island community,
“I’m tremendously grate- ful for the honor and proc- lamation that is celebrating my father’s legacy. My fa- ther and his service to the
Uncle Eddie says
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