Michael Peterson - Sunset Beach - Photos courtesy of Tom Parrish

Here is a three shot sequence of Michael Peterson, Sunset Beach.

In the first shot you can see how far up the line he started. Its pretty easy to catch the wave from way back up to the north section at Sunset, the trouble is lining up the west bowl as the wave shifts, thickens and steepens. If you don't line it up right and have to pull out at the west bowl, you are going to pay big from the next waves. If you don't pull out and don't make the west bowl, you will be derailed and drilled at the intersection and double up of the north and west sections.

Before the Aussies busted down the door, Michael was the leader of their pack, agile, catlike and unafraid. He seemed to have magic touch in finding the right positioning and blew everyone away by alternating between a low center of gravity stall, hovering way back in the pocket and flowing bursts of wiggles and flicks, making his single fin look like a thruster before there were thrusters. His surfing was almost always brilliant, however, before peaking he got kind of weird and stopped coming to the North Shore by the time the other Aussies came of age.

Reno Abellira - Photo courtesy of Tom Parrish

This day was so big and there were so many great rides, everyone was pushing each other further and further. One of Reno's best qualities is his ability to be light on his feet. Waimea is a really steep and thick drop, not all that much easier than Pipeline and usually bigger. On this one Reno gets in early and it's a good thing because the wave really doubles up right there. With not much rocker, a thick nose and narrow tail on a huge board, if you didn't get set up early, you sure weren't going to get any help from the board on a drop like this. Sitting out the further than everyone else, the best waves seemed to come right to Reno that day. I think his board was 9'10". Thanks to Reno's flexibility and nimble dexterity, he makes this huge one with ease. When Reno is on, there's nobody more fluid.

Photo courtesy of Tom Parrish

Hakman up and riding in front of Rabbit at Waimea during the Smirnoff, as MR paddles over the top and Reno is paddling over the shoulder.

"Contest action, the message appears to be every man for himself, or should we call it... speaks for itself... hard to believe how many surfers' only aspiration is to be a part of this circus, a reminder that human nature is often regressive."

Photo courtesy of Tom Parrish

Achiu Lane in Haleiwa, hell's half acre or something like it, so hot under the tin roof. Got a big break from Plastic Fantastic's Danny Calohan and Dave Garner when they let me work in this room. Danny was so talented; he was generous and wasn't guessing when he gave pointers. Garner lived in the adjoining house and raised fighting chickens. The road in was always slip and slide muddy with big potholes. Kent Smith let me share the glassing room with him, nothing better than fiberglass itch and raw heat but it beat the heck out of the previous shop, which was a spare bedroom in the house across from 3 Tables.