Why are so many spectators backed up on Hawaiis Oahus North Shore to look at waves?
Thousands of spectators and surfers are flocking to Hawaii’s beaches to see the biggest waves in years crash ashore. Heavy traffic backed up for miles Monday along roads leading to Oahu’s North Shore. Some of the world’s most daring surfers took on the powerful and dangerous waves, which forecasters say could reach heights of 50 feet. The surf grew so large that a few beaches on Oahu and Maui were closed because lifeguards feared inexperienced sightseers could drown, according to state officials.”After the water comes in, it can drag you back out with it,” said Eric Basta, a manager at Surf N Sea in Haleiwa. “Be mindful of how powerful the surf really is. It may look like you can get down to the shore break, but you really need to stay away.” As violent as the waves were, they may grow in strength by Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The high waves are expected to continue through Wednesday. A legendary big wave surfing contest, the Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aika
Wherever I go, I get asked the very same question: Where are you from? A question whose answer elicits yet another question: Do you surf? “Well, I try to,” is normally my answer. But the truth is I am hardly ever really in Hawaii long enough to get my surfing skills up to a level that will earn the title “surfer.” In the past year, I may have hit the waves (at least I’ve tried to) a total of five times; predictably, being from Oahu’s North Shore means having to answer such questions. After all, Oahu’s North Shore is synonymous with surfing. As a matter of fact, it is billed as the “surfing capital of the world” because it is the host of many annual surfing competitions. Far too often, though, tourists come to Hawaii harboring a misconception: that taking a surfing lesson turns them into “surfers.” Well, not quite. Surfing ranks high on the list of one of the most difficult sports to learn. To master it and to truly be regarded as a “surfer,” it takes years and years of practice and pat
Thousands of spectators and surfers are flocking to Hawaii’s beaches to see the biggest waves in years crash ashore. Heavy traffic backed up for miles Monday along roads leading to Oahu’s North Shore. Some of the world’s most daring surfers took on the powerful and dangerous waves, which forecasters say could reach heights of 50 feet. The surf grew so large that a few beaches on Oahu and Maui were closed because lifeguards feared inexperienced sightseers could drown, according to state officials. Sources: http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_high_waves_hawaii.
