That Wall of Water

For the potbellied tourist who paddles happily through Waikiki's gentle swells, surfboard riding is a nice way to get a sunburn. For the acrobatic daredevils who test their skills in Makaha's "big surf,'' 40 miles to the west, the sport is a defiant duel with nature. There, angry waves are powerful enough to snap an arm or a leg, and a careless surfer who gets caught in the breakers may be buried in tons of crashing water, swallowed in the undertow, or dashed against a razor-sharp coral reef. Still. Makaha is the Mecca of the skillful surfer, and 275 of them made their annual pilgrimage to its rumbling breakers for last week's International Surfing Championships. Even the hot-dog vendors paused to watch as 14-ft. waves raced toward the shore at 35 m.p.h., lonely figures balanced boldly on their foaming crests.

For each wave rider, the thrills were different. Some, like Conrad Canha, 29, an unemployed dairy worker from Honolulu, came primarily for the nightlong pre-meet beach parties. "Surfing to me means more parties and good times," said Canha. "A lot of us learned to do the twist the night before the meet. We drink, we have a big party, and tomorrow we surf. The water revives you." Others, like Ernest ("Mud") Werner, 30, lived only for the competition: "When you crack through a tunnel, beat it across the face of a wave, and come out the other side--why, man, it's a great thrill. You feel five or six emotions all at once. It's better than sex. You own the world."

Most serious of the competitors was the eventual winner--thin-faced George Downing, 31, who managed to combine the longest rides with the finest form. "Surfing in big waves is like mountain climbing or bullfighting,'' said Downing. "You're exposed to elements you know nothing about-reef conditions, bottom conditions, currents, undertow." A professional water sports instructor, muscular George Downing has been battling the big surf since he was eleven. For Downing, as for Canha and Werner, the thrills outweigh the risks. "You go through the sensation of being scared," he explained. "That's because you have respect for something you know is much stronger than you. But then the moment of truth comes. You start the descent, you take the drop. It's breathtaking. There's just you, and that wall of water."

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