Red Bull Jaws event a no-go due to winds

Red Bull Jaws

Jaws Maui Hawaii
7 December - 15 March 2012

Big wave surfing event will not run on January 18/19

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 January, 2013 : - - Pe'ahi, Maui -- Organizers of Red Bull Jaws, Paddle at Pe'ahi have chosen to pass on the large swell episode that is forecast to hit the Hawaiian Islands Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this week. Highly unfavorable north winds and less than favorable swell direction resulted in the decision.

"North winds add a lot of texture and bump to the ocean at Jaws, turning it more to storm surf," said Jaws local and Invitee Ian Walsh. "In some cases you could get a chip shot out the back, but a North wind will generally give it that rib up the face of the wave, making it pretty ugly."

"Contestable sized swell is forecast through the weekend but local wind models remain consistent, indicating unfavorable winds during that time frame," said official forecaster Mark Sponsler, of StormSurf.com. "These conditions do not meet the minimum contest criteria and make for very unsafe surfing at that size.

"Looking ahead, the Active Phase of the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) is forecast to remain in effect for the next 2-3 weeks. This tends to support the formation of larger swell-producing storms and a favorable environment for storm development."

The Red Bull Jaws, Paddle at Pe'ahi has a holding period through March 15. Organizers will be looking for a swell that challenges the upper limits of paddle-in surfing: a strong northwest swell from 330 degrees with wave face heights from 30-50 feet with smooth surface conditions.

The access roads and private land overlooking Pe'ahi/Jaws will be closed to the public on event day and the days prior. Given Red Bull's standards for athlete and public safety, the access roads and area must be strictly limited to traffic in order to swiftly move emergency vehicles in and out in case of an emergency. Red Bull is working closely with local, county and state officials and municipality services to ensure that athlete safety is the number one priority for the event.

While this may be an inconvenience for many of those in the local community, hopefully surfing fans will understand the need to limit access to the area and provide a safe atmosphere in which the competitors feel comfortable in pushing the limits of competitive surfing.

www.redbullusa.com/jaws

Source: Ocean Promotion

Author: Jodi Wilmott

Tags: Paddle-in, Jaws, Pe'ahi, Red Bull

Big Wave: Surfersvillage