Solo Perouse

Located on the south side of Maui, La Perouse is one of the best waves on the island to surf or sail. Back in the 90’s it was the hot spot to windsurf during the summer months, but with the rapid increase in surfing’s popularity, it has been effectively shutdown for windsurfers for the last 15 years. With a huge south swell forecast however, Jason Polakow couldn’t resist the lure of a session there. Read on as Pozza tells us more in his inimitable style!

- Jason Polakow

THE SPOT

“The water at La Perouse is a beautiful turquoise colour making for an amazing contrast against the black lava rocks that consume this entire bay. Watching this wave break when it’s big is one of the most beautiful sights you will see anywhere in the surfing world. It can also be one of the most dangerous places if you wipeout in the wrong spot. Razor sharp lava rocks cover 90% of the beach with only one small cove where you can make it back in safely.

The wave has two parts to it. The ride on the outside is fun but the money part of the wave does not start till it hits the inside. It’s a perfect peeling barrel that starts breaking close to the lava rock point and then peels across the bay into a nice deep channel. It’s almost too good to be true but the wind plays cat and mouse with you all day and to make things more difficult, it is not that easy to find the right wave on the inside. You really need to be on the lookout for a wide set that extends out across the bay and these types of swells are very rare unless you have a perfect swell direction and size.

THE CALL

Erik Aeder, the local photographer, blew my phone up the morning of the swell saying “I’m here shooting surfing and it’s the biggest I’ve ever seen it and it’s WINDY, come now…” Within 5 minutes of getting that text I was on the road heading over, hoping I was not the last person to find out how sick it was.