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BELIEVE IT OR NOT
Laird Hamilton uses helicopter to tow in to Jaws |
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January 4, 2005 It was just a matter of time, really. Mini tow boards, superfast PWC, hydrofoil things, anything to make the whole big-wave surfing experience a little more intense.
After Opening Day on December 15th, where an armada of copters and PWC and tow surfers descended on Jaws like some kind of Waterworld movie, it almost seemed natural that the copters get in more on the action.
And on the next swell, December 21st, that's exactly what happened.
"It was later on after everyone had left," photographer Dan Merkel recalls. "Dorian and Ross Williams and some Brazilian guys had been towing in all morning, but Laird and a ski driver came out around 3:30."
The swell was too west to be very big at Peahi; the sets capped out at 20 feet. After 35-foot death tubes, 20-footers must seem pretty, uh, mellow. So the copter shows up and drops a rope to Laird, who proceeds to ride about a dozen or so waves.
"The pilot was really amazing," Merkel continued. "I'd love to see it on a bigger day, but it'd probably get pretty dangerous." --Marcus Sanders
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;)
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