North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii
July 16th, 2007 by Neel Bhuta
Legend has it that when the English missionaries first got to Hawaii, they discouraged the Polynesians from surfing because they felt it was a waste of time. So it’s a little ironic now that the some of the best surfing schools in Hawaii are run by the successors of those very same missionaries. And those schools get to churn out students that get to test their skills at one of the best surf destinations on the planet: the North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii.
In the summertime, the water at the North Shore is relatively quiet, making it a great place to fish or swim. But during the winter, it is an entirely different story. When the weather gets colder, the waves get massive, and the best surfers in the world flock to the birthplace of surfing. It was here that the English first discovered the Hawaiian natives riding the waves on long, wooden boards. And it was here that modern surfing became legendary, on the back of the exploits of local boy Duke Kahanamoku in the 1920s.
The North Shore stretches, uninterrupted, for almost 20 miles, producing beautiful white, sandy beaches that you can lie on while watching the surfing. Between October and February, the beach can boast waves reaching heights of up to 20-30 feet.
One particular location is called the Banzai Pipeline, so called because of the massive tube that forms when the waves curl under their own weight. Another hot spot for surfers and onlookers is Waimea Beach.
The North Shore is also particularly convenient for the American tourist. Since Hawaii is a state, it is much easier to travel here than to travel to many of the other great surfing destinations around the world located in other countries. So, next winter, leave the snowy confines of your home and make you way to Hawaii’s North Shore, to be a part of the best surfing experience in the world.
