PHOTOS: Ho’okipa Surfers Find Waves Through Wind

By Madeline Ziecker

A surfer at Ho'okipa about to get barreled. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.

Winter can be bittersweet for North Shore surfers. Big, beautiful sets roll in throughout the season at Ho’okipa Beach only to be periodically  hacked to pieces as they form, blasted by seasonal winds.

A  promising swell died an early death last week at Jaws due to strong winds interfering with the form of the waves and with the surfers trying to ride them.

On Friday, February 3 a good wave was still hard to find, but for two short intervals wind speed dropped and bigger waves could reach their potential, resulting in a congregation of afternoon surfers at Ho’okipa and “Lanes.”

From 3 – 4:30 p.m., waves at Ho’okipa and Lanes were growing larger but wind speed was also increasing. Surfers had the chance to catch a few waves before the wind became too strong and ruined the fun.

The word along the beach in the early evening after the session was that the wind nearly spoiled yet another potentially perfect day in the surf.

Photo by Madeline Ziecker.	ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD Waves at Hookipa on Friday, February 2. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.
Photo by Madeline Ziecker.	Waves at "Lanes," just to the left of Ho'okipa. Photo by Madeline Ziecker.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD Photo by Madeline Ziecker.	Photo by Madeline Ziecker.