Video footage of Alex Gray and co. hooking into robust Palikir Pass during a recent swell. Filmed and edited by the old blokes at What Youth?

In big waves the current trend is away from towsurfing and toward catching waves unassisted on ten foot+ boards. The individual challenge of paddle surfing may be greater but collective progress is almost non-existent. In this article, blindboy argues that towsurfing is the only means forward if surfers are to keep pushing the outside of the envelope.

Compared to the large swell that hit Hawaii mid-December, which developed just west of the international date-line and fell short of Eddie requirements, this next swell will be far larger and more consistent due to the closer proximity to Oahu

"The size will definitely be there - approximately 40-foot wave face heights - but strong, adverse winds out of the WSW are a major limiting factor," said event organizer Glen Moncata, citing recently issued weather and ocean reports.

In the promotion of surf books, four is not a bad crowd at all, as long as three of them aren’t immediate family. As a general rule of thumb, half the people who turn up at a book promotion will buy the book, particularly if there’s a lot of free beer being provided. 

“We need to protect our coastline from these type of developments and not find in 10 -15 years that we are fighting all over again,” said 2012 world champion Joel Parkinson.

“I’ve been in Snapper all my life, there’s a lot of history with it and my whole family is a part of this club,” said Parkinson. “To get the call up was really cool. I was rapt to represent the club and to get the win is even better.”