Video: Watermen Canoe Surf Big Waves at Legendary Hawaiian Surf Break

Originally posted on SURFER | By Jade Eckardt | Last updated Feb 20, 2024 10:00 PM ET

Outrigger canoes filled with people, plants, and animals traveled across the Pacific to the Hawaiian Islands a very long time ago.

But the cultural tradition didn't fade away and remains alive and well. Outrigger canoes are a part of modern life in Hawaii, as paddling is a thriving hobby for many water people who paddle and race with canoe clubs.

But some paddlers, like the guys in the video below, take it to the next level and actually surf them on huge waves.

The footage above comes from Ocean Paddler TV, a Hawaii station that covers paddling around the world.

It's a short edit from last weekend's 47th Buffalo Big Board Surfing Classic at legendary big wave spot Makaha on Oahu's West Side.

One of the many unique things about the Buffalo Big Board Surfing Classic is that it offers 14 different divisions, including a Canoe Surfing division, where contestants are required to bring their own canoes and paddles.

Ocean Paddler TV captioned the video:

"It was a true Cat and Mouse game yesterday at the BuFF!! Great day, with 8-foot Hawaiian sets and 30+ offshores kept the crews busy!!! TV show to follow!"

The video, which is just under a minute long, shows men in four-person canoes charging huge surf. Even though they're riding waves, it looks like a helluva lot more effort than managing a surfboard in big surf.

So press play above for another take on surfing.

And at the 40-second mark, you'll see how outrigger canoes duck dive.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: