Big-Wave Surfers Go On a 5-Day Jaws Bender (Gallery)

On December 22, 2024, while the surf world’s collective eye was fixed on Waimea Bay during the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big-Wave Invitational, lensman Fred Pompermayer was in the channel at Jaws, documenting a select few hellmen as they tackled what some are calling the heaviest Pe'ahi paddle waves in history.

The select few he had his lens focused on were Albee Layer, Shaun Walsh, Wilem Banks, and more who were on their fifth day of an XXL-wave swell bender. Over the course of less than a week, Jaws went from the big-wave amphitheater we’re used to seeing to a terrifying death slab that chilled the bones of onlookers and snapped rhino chasers like toothpicks.

"I saw water doing things that bent the mind," Layer wrote on his Instagram. "60ft+ waves straight doubling up like a little slab. The only thing making it less than the best paddle day in history was the north direction. That made positioning in the lineup unbelievably difficult and getting caught way too probable. The best waves in history were out there though."

With Pompermayer in the channel shooting waves like Layers', we now get an up-close look at how the back-to-pack North Pacific swells unloaded onto the reef at Pe'ahi and created a 5-day swell bender for those lucky (and crazy enough) to be there.

"This last run of swells was exceptional," says Pompermayer. "Shooting big wave surfing for as long as I have, I never experienced five-straight-days of this magnitude at Jaws. The Eddie Swell came in strong as was predicted.  The morning started with a few paddlers trying to make history, each set got bigger and bigger. We witnessed incredible waves ridden.  By noon, for the safety of the small crew in the lineup, the decision was made to stop the paddling, and the tow teams took over. Those waves may have been the biggest waves ever ridden in Peahi!"

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All photos and captions by Fred Pompermayer