Watch: Nathan Florence // Waimea

Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

Where does Waimea sit now that Mavs is cracked, Jaws is paddled, and we're running out of 'X's to describe Nazare? I'll tell you. It occupies the same place Makaha once did: a fearsome beast that, on all but the very largest swells, has been declawed. It's been surpassed by the drive to surf larger and larger waves.

Still, it's convenient, seems like a good place to catch up with friends, and provides a bit of a tickle for those who don't wanna fly somewhere on every swell.

Here's Nathan Florence staying home. Filmed from shore plus some unflattering cuts from his GoPro (how to make a big wave look...well, not that big).

Comments

simba Sunday, 24 Mar 2019 at 08:02 am new

Mikey wrights barber?

manic- mat -rider Sunday, 24 Mar 2019 at 01:41 pm new

He always looks like he is having fun. Enjoying his videos on Youtube .. Waimea is still a serious wave for most surfers although compared to Jaws etc can look quite tame.

Elliedog Monday, 25 Mar 2019 at 03:32 pm new

why am I not getting the videos your posting?.

caml Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 12:46 am new

Great clip

Spuddups Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 04:50 am new

Fark, I dunoo, maybe a bit much writing off Waimea as a big wave spot. Looks pretty goddamn heavy to me. Especially from that angle.

stunet Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 02:33 pm new

Reckon you'll find very few big wave riders that fear Waimea the way it was feared up to the 90s. It might sound disparaging but it's just a result of advancements in the sport.

I mean shit...back in the day crew were terrified of the Waimea shorey - "you'll get pummelled to your death" etc etc. Yet the same time the above video was shot this was going on: (fwd to 7 min mark)

OHV500 Wednesday, 27 Mar 2019 at 09:49 am new

Is it just me, or should some guys stick to what they are great at, and just ride waves ?
PS: That shorie is so heavy

radiationrules Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 12:14 pm new

"unflattering go-pro footage" - a guy at the top of his game, laughing all day in the sun with his big wave mates? The less talented surfer wipe-outs; looked pretty scary to me.

Beats reading about how the One Nation fuck-wits spend their days hand down.

stunet Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 02:27 pm new

Maybe it's me, but I think the fixed GoPro - fixed to the deck of the board that is - makes for the most misleading image of surfing. The board remains still while everything else moves to a haphazard rhythm, there's no sense of motion, and wave size is flattened.

Just....unflattering.

t-diddy Wednesday, 27 Mar 2019 at 12:36 am new

Agree! wave looks shoulder high

spencie Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 03:17 pm new

For a bit of interest you can always throw in a wank or a datum.