on the beach for those wishing to rid their body of saltwater essence. It is regularly put to use, in appreciation of its donor. Rick "Crazy Shirts" Ralston.
Looping lines at Lani's. It looks majestic, but now, if you could only snag one for yourself . . . Photo: Jeff Devine
The lefts on the opposite side are also great places to hunt for quality breakers. Jock Sutherland, one of the original surfers who defined hotdogging from the late '60s into the early '70s, was one of the first to put in time at this reef, which isn't much of a surprise given that he grew up in a house right on the beach. Along with Jeff Hakman and some of his other neighbors, Jock was a member of the Chun's Reef Surfing Society, an informal and little-known group of North Shore surfers who made up what was probably the NS's first surfing club. Unable to persuade his buddies to paddle out with him because they wussed-out at the thought of having to deal with the gnarly rocks protruding on the inside (remember those were preleggie days, mate), Jock would constantly solo it and reap all the spoils, That's the local tale behind the naming of Jocko's, which also goes by the name Jock's Reef.
The wave itself is a winding left that can churn out quite a mean barrel on its day Lipsmacking areas are abundant, and should be taken advantage of whenever possible. When good, Jocko's can be the ultimate and dreamy left. Be wary of the aforementioned rocks that line the inside. They have a weird habit of making themselves known when one is caught in their vicinity while ducking white water. Crowds are once again a pesky factor at this surf spot.
One of the more sought after rights in The Country is Laniakea. When on, Lani's exhibits a long and roping ride that can challenge the hardest of the hardcore. An inside bowl near the channel is a great place to hook into wedging wonders, while the outside peak can hand out long on-down-the-line speed tracks leading to the inside. Under 6 feet, Lani's remains playful and can be enjoyed by the majority of surfers on hand. The story changes when the sets start rumbling at 8 feet and up. Heavy lines of waves possess plenty of push-start and are best attempted by more advanced waveriders. Big barrels followed by a rushing wall of waves twist down a long right line, and on good swells from the north, these walls can thread their way all the way across the reef, causing jelly legs at the finish line.
Swells incoming from the west, meanwhile, make for fast-dumping sections and are best passed up for a different spot. Lefts occasionally roll off the outside peak, but hold out the threat of being caught inside. Getting snared by a freak set on a sizey day means taking serious poundings that may pose the specter of seeing yourself paddle all the way back out from the channel again. You can tell if the surf's happening without even looking at the water by applying the surfer's rule of counting the number of cars in the parking lot. If the lot is empty, it's a good sign that the surf probably stinks.
Is this view enticing enough to inspire the long paddle out? We think so. Welcome to a place called Avalanche. Photo: Mana
The peak between Laniakea and Jocko's, called Holton's, can dish up some tasty rights. Nice drops followed by a big wall are on the menu and can satisfy any surfer's appetite for adrenaline on bigger, holding days. It is easily checked from the Lani's carpark.
To the left of Lani's and about a mile out to sea is Himalayas, a mountainous peak that holds monster swells. Not a place for surfing alone, so if you feel like going for it, take at least one buddy (if not several) and a big board. Rarely surfed due to the beastly nature of the place. Towing-in is usually a better riding strategy.
When the buoys hit the 20 feet/20 second mark and most of the North Shore is macking and closing out, your list of rideable wave venues starts to really get limited. You could go for it at a maxing outside reef Pipeline or Sunset if they are holding up, or go for the guts and glory of Waimea. If the big stuff isn't on your agenda, then give Puaena Point a look-see. There are actually two spots to surf that show their stuff when the swell starts getting serious. The first place of refuge is the bowly peak at the edge of the channel that forms a fast-breaking right driving into the deep water. Wave sizes here are usually only a fraction of the surrounding swell. You can tell if it's going off or not by looking at it from the beach. If it looks good from land, it's probably better in the water.
For those looking for more of an adrenaline boost, the outside is the call. Thick long rights come in from way out the back, and if you should snag a good one, it will take you for a lengthy shoot to the inside. Beware of fast wide ones that will work you and leave you helpless to the brutality of the rest of the set. Some of the size of the swell is reserved for this outside break, and it can get big. Keep your eyes peeled for those notorious sneaker sets.
Haleiwa always looks way easier from the beach than it actually is. Add the racing rip currents, shifty peaks, clean-up sets and anxious locals and it very suddenly becomes much less alluring. Photo: Jeff Divine
Homely Haleiwa
Haleiwa could possiby be one of the trickiest waves to surf on the North Shore. From the beach, the nicely-shaped rights are deceptively inviting, but from the water it's a whole different story. A super-solid rip that could tire out a shark runs through the break, causing a constant paddling to keep up with it and to maintain your position. The waves themselves tend to section off, crushing those waveriders who have the tenacity to try their luck on them.
A deathly shallow end section called the Toilet Bowl borders the end of the right, and at times can suck straight out to near dry reef, as if someone had just flushed a bowlful. The local boys who call Haleiwa home are among the stingiest around when it comes to sharing waves, and they are out nearly every rideable day in an attempt to make sure that their wave quotas are met—and then some. Sneaker sets that send you propeller-arming for the horizon are more than common, particularly on solid days when getting spanked-drilled is an uncomfortable consequence. For those who "no can handle" and feel that they have to tap out, lifeguards are almost always on duty to make sure that things don't get out of hand. If you can deal with all of this, then you may just have a fun sesh out here. When on, Haleiwa can produce some of the top performance waves around. High-speed rights beg for a lipbash, and even the odd left that can be jumped on fills the reef. Indeed, on good mood days, everyone has fun.
On bigger and decidedly more intimidating days, beginners and minigroms can amuse themselves by frolicking on an inside reform section that rolls through before dissipating. And for those who don't surf, the beach park is definitely user-friendly and the perfect place to have a picnic, soak in the rays and observe the action at sea. At the surf center, if you're polite enough, Uncle Lee may even lend you the paddles and ball for da ping-pong table.
A straight-up schnapp by Australian Shane Wehner. Hey, it got our attention, didn't it?
The innovative Kalani Robb turning heads with some new-school surf trickery.
L.A. local Strider "Raspberry" Wasilewski makes like a bird and soars through the sky.
Photos: Jason Childs
When a wave has an intimidating name such as Avalanche, you sort of lose interest in doing anything other than observing. And that's exactly what 99 percent of the people checking out the waves at Haleiwa do. For the 1 percent who choose to make the long paddle out to this lonesome peak, we say, "have
