Surfing Peahi, North Shore, Maui, Hawaii

Photograph by Fred Pompermayer

"I try to surf every day," says local surfer Yuri Soledade, seen here on a 40-foot wave at Peahi, or Jaws, on Maui's North Shore. "This particular spot is where some of the biggest and most powerful waves in the world
break. It's considered the proving grounds for big-wave surfing." The cliff at Pauwela Lighthouse and the West Maui Mountains rise in the distance.
Soledade has a lot of experience in big waves: He first surfed Peahi in 1999 and first paddled into the powerful break in 2004. "There is a lot of training and preparation before every season and session, but the goal is to push the limits but be safe at the same time," he says.
On this day, the weather was perfect. "Usually there is always wind and cloud cover," Soledade recalls. "But on this day we had no wind and not even one single cloud in the sky."
Getting the Shot
“Jaws is a such a raw place and the waves can get massive. It’s dangerous, even for those who are shooting or watching on the channel. You cannot mess around there,” says photographer Fred Pompermayer. Familiar with shooting at the turbulent break, Pompermayer decided to go outside of the safety channel to photograph.
“On this particular day, everything was perfect. I decided to try to get a different angle. I set myself up on the left side of the channel with the Jet Ski to capture the unique angle, getting close to the impact zone and framing the cliff in the background,” he recalls.
“When I saw Yuri Soledade paddling for that wave, I knew I was in a good spot for an incredible photo," Pompermayer says. "I love the composition of this photo. It’s the perfect big wave, with the surfer going right, and the Peahi cliff showing in the background.”
Pompermayer photographed with a Canon 1Dx and a 70-200mm, f/4 lens.