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Pe’ahi is one of the best-known spots in the world of surfing and stand up paddle, and for good reason. Located on Maui’s north shore in Hawaii, Pe’ahi has become synonymous with the monstrous wave break there that goes by the same name… among others. Surfing and SUP surf enthusiasts also refer to Pe’ahi as Jaws, given its scale and awesome force. Indeed, people come from all over to tackle Jaws on their surfboards, and increasingly, on their paddleboards too.
Naish rider Kai Lenny and Focus SUP star Mo Freitas recently spoke about their exploits taking on the intense wave break on their SUP boards in a video produced by Outside TV. Blue skies, turquoise waters, the gorgeous backdrop of this Hawaiian paradise and, above all, consistently formidable waves rolling in one after the other. Sound good? Well, it looks good too! Check out the vid for yourselves and listen to what they have to say.
“Pe’ahi, better know as Jaws, is located on the north shore of Maui, right in my back yard, and it’s quite the spectacle,” all-round waterman Kai Lenny tells us. Local boy Mo Freitas tells us that after surfing there for the first time, he discovered its status as “the Mecca, the Super Bowl” of big-wave surfing. Small wonder why so many surfers and paddlers flock there then!
Freitas is keen to point out that the scene out on Jaws, especially on a stand up is a little different. You’re definitely going to be selective and pick the waves you want to ride and you won’t hesitate to go for them because, with the paddle in your hand, you can really get into the waves you do charge at. Lenny adds, “if I’m on the wave and I need a little extra power to move forward, I can do a stroke even” for that added bit of force.
For Lenny, there is no apparent disadvantage to taking on Jaws on a paddleboard as opposed to a surfboard. For him, it’s just a different perspective, and he insists that some of the best waves he’s ever rode have been with a stand up taking on Jaws.
Freitas sees a great future for stand up paddling out at Jaws. The SUP rider seems convinced that more and more people are going to realise that with a stand up paddle board and having the advantage of a paddle in your hand means you can get into bigger waves with greater ease and much faster than with a prone for example. As he says, “you guys wanna ride a bigger wave? Then the stand up is the way to do it!”
