Every surfer, from the littlest grom to the oldest surf dude dreams of the promised land, the North Shore of Oahu.
We have been lucky enough to visit Oahu three times, going again soon, and stay at Turtle Bay, the nicest resort on the North Shore and which also marks the easternmost edge of surfing Mecca.
We're going to try and dig up some of the pics and vids we took and scan them into the gallery, but I wanted to just post a little about the experience of the first trip there.
As the flight circles over Hawaii before landing at the airport you can catch glimpses of Diamond Head and Waikiki, as well as Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial and sets the tone for the trip.
The first thing you notice in Hawaii is that Honolulu is just a big city set in paradise. On the island of Oahu the major highway circles the edge of the island, with a cut through from Honolulu to near Haleiwa but the interior of the island is mountainous. Steep mountains. Can't drive up mountains. To steep for goats mountains.
After you pass through the last little town the road cuts through the dark red dirt of the pineapple fields, winds its way past the Dole Pineapple Plantation and then, suddenly, you crest a hill and realize that what you thought was the sky and horizon is actually the intense blue of the Pacific Ocean and spread in front of you is the fabled North Shore.
The road curves right at Haleiwa, the actual start of the North Shore and a great place for beginners to learn to surf (and while you're there visit Pizza Bob's and Matsumoto Shave Ice). Within a few minutes you crest another hill and the most famous big wave bay in the world, Waimea, stretches in front of you. After Waimea, the surfing breaks are non-stop with one famous name after another reeling past, with, of course, the Banzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach being the best known.
It is amazing that there is so much action packed in such a small space of land.
A few surprises? '
Waimea is usually flat but when the waves crank the whole beach shakes under your feet. In addition to the big waves there is a break within 10 feet of the beach that has what looks like a six foot wave that promptly crashes into the beach.
The Banzai Pipeline is also very, very close to the beach. On television and the screen it looks a ways off, but I think I could throw a rock from the beach into the face of the wave. You also have to be very, very careful because occasionally a wave breaks and rushes WAY up on the beach, surprising all the tourists who suddenly find themselves knee deep in surf on what was dry sand a moment ago. A big thumbs up to the lifeguards here who are on hand in a second helping people back to their feet and keeping them from being swept out to sea.
Remember the Hawaiian rule. Hawaiians rule. This was their island a long time before the haoles came and give them respect. I I had heard warnings that the islanders were rude but that wasn't my experience matching what I've found in my travels all over. You get what you give.
Hawaii is the only place I have visited that is as, if not more, beautiful than the pictures.
