This article originally appeared on The Inertia.
Super Swell Saturday was a moment in time that won't ever be forgotten. It'll likely be one of those days that stories about are passed around for generations. It produced the biggest waves seen at Jaws in a decade.
Mark Healey had his "biggest wipeout ever" and surfed what he called "probably the biggest wave I've paddled." The North Shore of Oahu was next-level. Photographer Ryan Moss broke his back. It was wild, to say the least. The best swell in a decade, some said. The biggest and cleanest ever, said others.
Now, a few months on and with some hindsight, Ian Walsh, connoisseur of Jaws, has taken the time to break down what happened that day.
"The winter had been really high-paced so far," he remembered. "We'd already had a massive swell at Jaws and I'd just finished my third trip to Maverick's within three weeks. This Jaws swell on the 16th was shaping up to be the biggest swell of the season and possibly the first tow day we've had in years."
As it turned out, it was indeed a day for the history books, and Walsh's break down is a thorough one.
Ian Walsh Looks Back at Super Swell Saturday, the Biggest Jaws Day in a Decade
The Inertia
This article originally appeared on The Inertia.
Super Swell Saturday was a moment in time that won't ever be forgotten. It'll likely be one of those days that stories about are passed around for generations. It produced the biggest waves seen at Jaws in a decade.
Mark Healey had his "biggest wipeout ever" and surfed what he called "probably the biggest wave I've paddled." The North Shore of Oahu was next-level. Photographer Ryan Moss broke his back. It was wild, to say the least. The best swell in a decade, some said. The biggest and cleanest ever, said others.
Now, a few months on and with some hindsight, Ian Walsh, connoisseur of Jaws, has taken the time to break down what happened that day.
"The winter had been really high-paced so far," he remembered. "We'd already had a massive swell at Jaws and I'd just finished my third trip to Maverick's within three weeks. This Jaws swell on the 16th was shaping up to be the biggest swell of the season and possibly the first tow day we've had in years."
As it turned out, it was indeed a day for the history books, and Walsh's break down is a thorough one.
Ian Walsh
2021 Men's Performer Of The Year Nominees: Kai Lenny, Peter Mel, Conor Maguire, Grant Baker, Sebastian Steudner, Ian Walsh, Nathan
2021 Men's Biggest Tow Ian Walsh at Jaws on January 16, 2021. Video from Marc Chambers.
2021 Men's Biggest Paddle Nominee: Ian Walsh at Jaws on December 2, 2021. Video from Carlo Carbajal.
Kai Lenny, Pete Mel, Twiggy and crew led the charge on a day that was pretty much as good as it gets at the NorCal big-wave spot.
It takes serious courage and commitment to scratch into waves like these.
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