DIAL M FOR MAKAHA: A First-Hand Account From The Makaha Ku Ikaika Challenge

Blane Chambers on one of the bigger waves of the day.

One hour later and I'm in the water with Keone Downing, Jamie Mitchell, and Brian Keaulana. The swell is pushing 15 feet. Still, if anything characterizes this swell it is the inconsitent nature of the really big set waves. Twelve footers abound, but getting big ones takes a bit of luck. And desire.

I found myself on a few 15 footers. My ability to get the big ones took a serious hit when I decided to yield to Keone and Brian on any set waves. I wasn't going to get on the wrong side of Makaha heroes. When sets come in, I was generally in third or fourth position. And that's just fine with me. At that point I was just stoked to be out there.

One very large set did roll in and it swung just enough to allow me access. This wide section didn't stop Brian Keualana, who was very deep, too deep, from taking off anyway. Nor did it stop me. Keaulana is riding way back. "He's too deep," I told myself, and I drove hard, charging toward the bowl. Everything seemed fine.

And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jamie Mitchell scrambling in the white froth after a wipeout. Confident I could outrace the bowl and barely scrape past Mitchell, I trimmed as high as the 4-inch rail would allow. Mitchell then bellowed out an alerting "Scooootttttt", simultaneously standing up on his board and jumping off. In so doing Mitchell unknowingly pushed his board toward me. His board collided with mine and derailed any chance I had of sniveling around the 15-foot bowl section. The Makaha washing machine unleashed its fury, the rinse cycle cranked up to eleven. My day in the water finished.

But the event was just getting started. Highlights included Chuck Patterson catching bombs all day long and placing 5th overall, the highest ranking Haole. A heat featuring Patterson, Paddle Surf Hawaii's Blane Chambers, Makaha local Dave Parmenter and his good friend SURFER editor Chris Mauro saw possibly the biggest sets of the day explode down the point. At one point Mauro had to get off his board, pull off his leash, and swim under a solid 20-foot bomb. Humble locals like Sam Pai and Nolan Keaulana ripped around the bowl. Tahitians Raimana Van Bostelear and Arsene Harehoe charged hard. Hell, everyone charged hard.

As the day progressed the swell dropped off considerably. Eight to ten foot waves greeted the four Hawaiians in the final: Kamu Awue, Keone Keaulana, Ikaika Kalama and Aaron Napolean. Napolean, from the legendary Napolean Ohana, took top honors. Napolean secured deep, long and large walls all day long, riding perhaps the biggest wave of the day in round one. The day's real winner was the Westside of O'ahu's Junior Lifeguard program which received a large check courtesy of QuiksilverEdition and RedBull.