Peahi, Hawaii
Encyclopedia
Peahi is a place on the north shore of the island of Maui
in the U.S. state
of Hawaii
. It has lent its name to a big wave surfing
break, also known as Jaws.
land area (ahupuaa) at about 20°55′00"N 156°17′00"W. Like many ancient land areas, it extended from the northern slopes of Haleakalā
to the sea-level Peahi gultch. It also lent its name to a reservoir formed by a dam across the Uaoa Stream.
The name Peahi means "wave" in the Hawaiian language
, in the sense of a fanning or beckoning motion of the hand.
Much of the land is owned by Alexander & Baldwin
, formerly leased for agriculture to Maui Pineapple Company
(until it went out of business in 2009).
and just north of Pauwela from the Hana Highway
(Route 36) at 20°56′36"N 156°17′52"W.
A mostly unpaved road leads north from the highway between mile marker 13 and 14.
The name Peahi for the break is a word-play on the nearby ancient area name, since the Hawaiians had several other words such as nalu for waves of water.
When the Maui surfers John Roberson, John Lemus, and John Potterick were surfing the break in 1975, they noticed a sudden change in the conditions to huge dangerous waves, and gave it a nickname after the film Jaws
, comparing the unpredictability to a shark attack.
In the 1980s, a few intrepid wind surfers
reached the break from Hookipa
.
The wave sizes at Jaws (which can exceed 60 feet (18.3 m) during the months of December to March) attract big wave surfers such as Laird Hamilton
and Dave Kalama
using the tow-in surfing
method of big wave surf riding they co-invented (with Darrick Doerner
and Buzzy Kerbox).
Since the steep cliffs and fast-moving waves prevent paddling to the break, surfers are towed by personal water craft
launched from nearby areas such as the boat ramp at Māliko Bay.
In 1997 Charles and Leslie Lyon published a book of surfer photographs titled Jaws Maui.
An article by Joel Achenbach
on Jaws appeared in the November 1998 issue of National Geographic magazine, both photographed by Patrick McFeeley.
The extreme size of the waves is caused by the structure of an underwater ridge which has been studied by scientists.
Doerner, Kalama, and Hamilton appeared as stunt doubles for James Bond
in the opening sequence of the film Die Another Day
filmed at Jaws in 2001.
National Geographic Adventure magazine had an article in its July 2002 issue.
The publicity greatly increased the popularity of the site, resulting in over-crowding by 2004.
The lookouts on the cliffs above the break are the best vantage points for spectators; professional photographers use boats or helicopters. The road was blocked in 2006, but cleared in 2009.
There have been several "World Cup of Tow-in Surfing" contests held, but the changing conditions mean the dates cannot be set in advance.
The Billabong XXL awards given to big wave surfers often have several nominated from the Jaws break in the "biggest wave" category.
Even experienced surfers can be seriously injured on the violent waves, and the remote location requires expensive rescues via helicopter.
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It has lent its name to a big wave surfing
Big wave surfing
Big wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which experienced surfers paddle into or are towed onto waves which are at least 20 feet high, on surf boards known as "guns" or "rhino chasers". Sizes of the board needed to successfully surf these waves vary by the size of the wave as well as...
break, also known as Jaws.
Location
The name Peahi originally applied to an ancient HawaiiAncient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
land area (ahupuaa) at about 20°55′00"N 156°17′00"W. Like many ancient land areas, it extended from the northern slopes of Haleakalā
Haleakala
Haleakalā , or the East Maui Volcano, is a massive shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. The western 25% of the island is formed by the West Maui Mountains.- History :...
to the sea-level Peahi gultch. It also lent its name to a reservoir formed by a dam across the Uaoa Stream.
The name Peahi means "wave" in the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
, in the sense of a fanning or beckoning motion of the hand.
Much of the land is owned by Alexander & Baldwin
Alexander & Baldwin
Following World War II, the company entered a new business: land development and real estate. The company formed a new subsidiary, the Kahului Development Co., to develop housing in the Kahului area. In the following years, the company became more involved in the development of its land and the...
, formerly leased for agriculture to Maui Pineapple Company
Maui Pineapple Company
Maui Pineapple Company, Ltd. was a subsidiary of Maui Land & Pineapple Company Inc, and was the USA’s largest grower, processor, and shipper of Hawaiian pineapples. MPC had existed for a century, based in Maui, Hawaii, United States, and at one time cultivated and processed approximately of...
(until it went out of business in 2009).
Jaws
The Jaws surf break is roughly three miles east of PāiaPaia, Hawaii
Pāia is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, on the northern coast of the island of Maui. The population was 2,499 at the 2000 census. Pāia is home to several restaurants, art galleries, surf shops and other tourist-oriented businesses. One business, Charley's, is frequented by...
and just north of Pauwela from the Hana Highway
Hana Highway
The Hāna Highway is a long stretch of Hawaii State Routes 36 and 360 which connects Kahului with the town of Hāna in east Maui. On the east after Kalepa bridge, Hana Highway continues to Kīpahulu as Route 31 , the first section of which is unofficially considered to be part of Hāna Highway...
(Route 36) at 20°56′36"N 156°17′52"W.
A mostly unpaved road leads north from the highway between mile marker 13 and 14.
The name Peahi for the break is a word-play on the nearby ancient area name, since the Hawaiians had several other words such as nalu for waves of water.
When the Maui surfers John Roberson, John Lemus, and John Potterick were surfing the break in 1975, they noticed a sudden change in the conditions to huge dangerous waves, and gave it a nickname after the film Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
, comparing the unpredictability to a shark attack.
In the 1980s, a few intrepid wind surfers
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
reached the break from Hookipa
Ho'okipa
Ho‘okipa Beach Park is located on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii, USA. It is perhaps the most renowned windsurfing site in the world The waves here are largest during the winter, and break across a system of reefs that extend across the bay. During the summer the waves are smaller. Ho'okipa is...
.
The wave sizes at Jaws (which can exceed 60 feet (18.3 m) during the months of December to March) attract big wave surfers such as Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model...
and Dave Kalama
Dave Kalama
Dave Kalama is a big wave surfer, windsurfer, and celebrity watersports enthusiast. Kalama and his family live in Hawaii.Kalama is credited with the co-development of tow-in surfing, along with Laird Hamilton, Darrick Doerner, and Buzzy Kerbox...
using the tow-in surfing
Tow-in surfing
Tow-in surfing is a surfing technique which uses artificial assistance to allow the surfer to catch faster moving waves than was traditionally possible when paddling by hand.-History:...
method of big wave surf riding they co-invented (with Darrick Doerner
Darrick Doerner
Darrick Doerner is a big wave pioneer in the sport of towsurfing. His initials: 'D.D.' not only stand for his name, but for 'Designated Driver'. Darrick uses a personal water craft to travel to large surf breaks offshore. He is also known as simply 'Double D'. Darrick is known as a big wave surfer...
and Buzzy Kerbox).
Since the steep cliffs and fast-moving waves prevent paddling to the break, surfers are towed by personal water craft
Personal water craft
A personal water craft , also called water scooter, is a recreational watercraft that the rider rides or stands on, rather than inside of, as in a boat....
launched from nearby areas such as the boat ramp at Māliko Bay.
In 1997 Charles and Leslie Lyon published a book of surfer photographs titled Jaws Maui.
An article by Joel Achenbach
Joel Achenbach
Joel Leroy Achenbach is an American staff writer for the Washington Post and the author of seven books, including A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea, The Grand Idea, Captured by Aliens, It Looks Like a President only Smaller, and three compilations of his former syndicated newspaper column "Why...
on Jaws appeared in the November 1998 issue of National Geographic magazine, both photographed by Patrick McFeeley.
The extreme size of the waves is caused by the structure of an underwater ridge which has been studied by scientists.
Doerner, Kalama, and Hamilton appeared as stunt doubles for James Bond
James Bond (character)
Royal Navy Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. He is the main protagonist of the James Bond series of novels, films, comics and video games...
in the opening sequence of the film Die Another Day
Die Another Day
Die Another Day is the 20th spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth and last film to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond; it is also the last Bond film of the original timeline with the series being rebooted with Casino Royale...
filmed at Jaws in 2001.
National Geographic Adventure magazine had an article in its July 2002 issue.
The publicity greatly increased the popularity of the site, resulting in over-crowding by 2004.
The lookouts on the cliffs above the break are the best vantage points for spectators; professional photographers use boats or helicopters. The road was blocked in 2006, but cleared in 2009.
There have been several "World Cup of Tow-in Surfing" contests held, but the changing conditions mean the dates cannot be set in advance.
The Billabong XXL awards given to big wave surfers often have several nominated from the Jaws break in the "biggest wave" category.
Even experienced surfers can be seriously injured on the violent waves, and the remote location requires expensive rescues via helicopter.