Watch: Mason Ho’s Waimea Bay Rock Dance

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Jan 10, 2025 2:19 PM ET

Rock Lobster, Rock the Casbah, Rock You Like a Hurricane.

If there were a playlist to Mason Ho’s latest edit – in fact, most of his edits – these could be a few jingles on the list. The dude has an uncanny attraction to super shallow, super rocky surf spots; the ones that are more like human cheese-graters masquerading as surf spots. So much so that he seeks them out, versus traditional spots. But hey, no crowds.

Mason’s most recent rock obsession: Mermaid Rock. Right next to the jump rock at Waimea Bay. And he used it as a naturally occurring step-off setup. Check it out below.

(Fun fact: There is such thing as “Petrofilia,” meaning a “love of rocks; favorability towards rocks.” It can manifest in collecting, sculpting, painting, making jewelry…or surfing on or around rocks. You're welcome for the diagnosis, Mase.)

Joining Mason on this rock-centric session is New York’s Balaram Stack. However, Bal sticks more to the lefts breaking off the jump rock. Mason, on the other hand, stands on the rock, waits for a wave, and casually steps onto his board. No paddling necessary.

Impressive. Entertaining. Innovative.

It’s a far cry from Mason’s previous foray at Waimea Bay, which was during the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. At the end of the event, Mason fell short to fellow North Shore charger, Landon McNamara. But still, runner-up in surfing’s most prestigious contest ain’t bad.

Per our recap of the event: “Mason then caught a screamer of a right, at least 30 feet tall, probably bigger. He was slingshotted up the leaderboard and far into the channel, but he worked it all the way inside and got blasted by a geyser-esque backwash. Somewhere, Micahel Ho had to smile.”

This time, it’s a bit different than The Eddie. But still, rock on.

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

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