Surf North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii

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Oahu, Hawaii’s North Shore is legendary when the topic of surfing is explored. Close to the hustle and bustle of Waikiki Beach in distance but a polar opposite when comparing respective auras, the funky villages and open space of the North Shore makes visitors forget they are actually in a city of over 1 Million residents, Honolulu, Hawaii. When it comes to surfing, perhaps no place on earth can match the legendary beaches and iconic waves of the North Shore - the “seven-mile-miracle” of surf beaches. Winter time in the Northern hemisphere beckons huge breakers to Oahu’s North Shore and sees a number of the world’s premier surfing competitions staged. Among the prolific lineup, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is held from mid-November to mid-December each year. This world class competition is actually 3 events for men and women with overall champions crowned at the conclusion of the more than month long contests. First up, The Reef Hawaiian Pro is held at Haleiwa, followed by the World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach, rounded off with the Billabong Pipe Masters held at none other than Banzai Pipeline. The historic surf town of Haleiwa is usually the first stop for newcomers to the North Shore for needed equipment, repairs or provisions and to “talk story” with the locals to find out where the best waves can be found on any given day. Waimea Bay has been important to the surfing world since the 1950’s. When surfers began to challenge the big winter waves at Waimea Bay the legend of Oahu’s North Shore was born. The beach at Waimea Bay is wide and sandy with adjacent rock outcroppings used by locals and visitors for climbing before hurling themselves into the ocean. The Quicksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau surf competition is held irregularly, but always during the Hawaiian winter, whenever the waves at Waimea Bay exceed 8 meters. On average, the competition is held every 3 years and attracts the world’s elite surfers who are summoned when conditions are right. Waimea Bay, the drop is everything at this world famous right point break. Sunset Beach with its shifting right breakers is usually a few feet bigger and the waves are somewhat cleaner than the rest of the North Shore. Typically, breakers start out with an outside takeoff on a good sized peak leading to the opportunity to carve an open face before speeding through the bowl and ending with a kick out in the channel. Big guns rule the water at Sunset Beach on what are some of the longest waves inHawaii. Banzai Pipeline (sometimes simply referred to as “Pipeline”) and its tubular waves are located at Ehukai Beach on Oahu’s North Shore. Pipeline sports a world famous reef break that forms hollowed curls that can be ridden from the inside. Depending on the weather and conditions there are as many as 4 different wave configurations when the surf gets big. Conquering the waves at Pipeline is a worthy addition to every surfer’s resume. Rooms, houses and hostels are the primary types of accommodations found on Oahu’s North Shore along with the elegant resort at Turtle Bay. Many visitors to Oahu stay in the Waikiki area and then “commute” to the North Shore. The choice is yours. Honolulu is accessible from virtually every part of the world with its busy international airport. The possibilities for other diversions while on Oahu are limitless. Including a trip to Oahu, Hawaii to surf the North Shore is a requirement for any surfer’s list. Fulfilling the dream of ripping the same waves where surfing’s legends were born is as close as you making the commitment.

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