Howzit North Shore! It really has been a nice "Indian Winter" spring surf episode, packed with a series of unusually clean and powerful late season swells. These are mostly from the North and North-West directions in a somewhat random order causing these "combo swell" days of surf. Some of these swells have been exceptional, particularly in places that pick up surf from a variety of different angles. Sometimes, several spots will line-up all together creating a long, fast wall that can fill up what are usually just empty and fairly calm channels between separate surf breaks. The result is an occasional "rogue super-wave" that breaks for a VERY long distance. The lifeguards were eyeing the conditions as they looked towards Chun’s Reef in the direction of Sunset Beach. From their new outpost near the bridge at the west end of Laniakea Beach, those guys were a little surprised to see one of those freight-train peeling rights being "ridden by one surfer all the way through" from way outside the Jockos/Chun’s Reef area! The "Lone Ranger’’ took off just to the right of the main peak at Jocko’s, wailed through Holton’s deepest corner and connected up a walling west section in what is usually an open and fairly calm channel between Holton’s end bowl and the north peak at Lanis. The renegade surfer then backdoored the outside north peak at Laniakea! The nut in the bright colored jersey powered all the way through to the inside bowl charging right past the Lifeguard Stand and the bridge at Laniakea on his way towards an endless shoulder breaking inside of Himalayas! A Big Wave Fanatic and long-time North Shore Lifeguard named Taku Horie wasted no time in negotiating "water patrol" duties for himself immediately. Taku checked in with his lifeguard partner, cashed in some old favors for some "water-time now" and was out in the Laniakea line-up before that ‘old trespasser’ had even paddled back from his mile-long super-wave. Gnarly, dude!

ARE THESE THE LAST WAVES OF THE 2009 SPRING SEASON ON THE NORTH SHORE? WE THINK NOT! It was already Mother’s Day and the first REAL Town Swell had not even showed up yet. The Hawaiian Groundhog got scared of his shadow and went back down to hibernate right on through April Fools Day! Hopefully, he’ll keep sleeping right on through the 1^st of June! We have had waves and rumors of waves and more Spring Swells are still expected out here on the "Keep the Country Country" side of Oahu. A fellow surf devotee and hopeless optimist paddling out next to me on a very un-crowded day of nearly perfect surf told me his theory. "We’ll probably have some good surf right on through the month of MAY this year to make up for that unusually late start at the end of last OCTOBER", he said with a grin!

Yup, one of those rare and memorably late "Indian Winters" of surf on the North Shore!

The "$340,000 (USD) Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui" is the third event on the ASP Men’s World Tour (WCT). The world’s best 45 male surfers take each other on at one of the world’s heaviest waves. The Billabong Pro Tahiti is the event that every pro surfer aspires to win. Joel Parkinson, 27, of Australia, is the current ASP/WCT 2009 #1 Rated Pro. He "has been in devastating form this season, collecting two wins in two events with an eye on an inaugural ASP World Title. The phenomenal natural-footer has demonstrated incredible focus thus far and is the frontrunner heading into Tahiti." (ASP quote) International sponsors for the event are Air Tahiti Nui, Sony, Honda AquaTrax, Von Zipper, Kustom and Nixon. Domestic sponsors are Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Mana, Opt and Manava Resorts. The 3^rd Annual Nixon WTA (Winner Takes All) has 4 stops on the 2009 ASP/WCT with the WTA #1, the Heaviest Wave Award, at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. WTA award #2 is for the highest heat score at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, in July. WTA #3 is for the longest tube in Mundaka, Euskadi, Spain in October. WTA #4 goes to the Triple Crown Winner on the North Shore of Oahu in December.

The "O’Neill Coldwater Classic Series 2009" includes events in Tasmania, Scotland, South Africa and Canada. On March 29, Jordy Smith of South Africa defeated Damien Hobgood (USA) to win the 1st ever "O’Neil Cold Water Classic" at Bluff Reef in Marrawah, Tasmania. Australian Adam Melling took 1^st place at the "O’Neil CWC Scotland presented by Swatch" held at Thursa East, Scotland finishing on May 5^th. The #2 spot went to fellow Aussie Luke Munro. Next the O’Neil CWC series moves on to South Africa’s Western Cape June 20-24 Next it’s on to Tofino on Vancouver Island, B.C. in Canada Oct 25-31. Then it’s on to Santa Cruz, California Nov 02-08. "The most Northern, the most Southern. the wildest, the coldest & the most classic surf contest on the planet." (ASP quote)

Congratulations to Sunday Morning KTUH DJ Sheree who began on the college radio station in March, 2008. Since January 2009, KTUH has been preparing for its 40^th Year by planning a KTUH documentary. Sheree just became an intern at KHNL 8, and she is launching a career in broadcast journalism. The documentary is one of her projects. She will graduate from UH in 2010 with a B.A. in Journalism. Ace does the Sunday 7AM Surf News Network surf report on KTUH. Taped, Live or somehow winging it… we always pull it off! Sheree NEVER misses capturing our SNN surf report info on time and with a dash of journalistic humor that restores one’s faith in youth, journalist media interns + womankind in general. U Go girl!

"A planned shark-encounter business is raising concerns of residents and others who use Maunalua Bay (the Hawaii Kai Shoreline area). The operator of the firm, Iolani Lewis, says he wants to establish a deep-water tour miles off the bay in about two months. But Ka Iwi Coalition member Ann Marie Kirke says her group plans to stop the shark operation. She says there are many users of the bay, including canoe paddlers, standup paddlers, fishermen, surfers and bodyboarders. Republican Rep. Gene Ward of Kalama Valley-Hawaii Kai says a feeding operation will attract sharks that in turn could endanger public safety." (Associated Press Quote via the KPUA website) Heated Public Discussion of this controversial situation is ongoing. Stay Tuned and don’t be afraid to Speak-Up!

Longtime North Shore Surf Reporter, Radio Announcer and HighSurfWarning.Com owner Jamie DeMatoff (aka the "Rock Warrior") opened the new "STORTO’S OF HONOLULU" with a Grand Opening on May 15^th! The new "Storto’s Deli and Sandwich" is at 3184 Waialae Avenue on Kaimuki Hill! Go check out the North Shore’s legendary Deli and Sandwich Shop as it sprouts new roots at "Storto’s of Honolulu". Their phone number is 739-2009! Storto’s Would Grow! Aloha…Ace Cool!