El Niño Rocking Todos Santos Big Wave Challenge Season

WSL Todos Santos Final Heat Kerr rides out first set while Brune and Lamb take the deep steep fall.

When El Niño delivers big storms across the Mexican and US Coast, causing alarms and warnings, when some are forced to evacuate and leave coasts to be flooded Big Wave Riders go out and deliver. At Baja the World Surf League WSL Big Wave Challenge Todos Santos was more than Big Wave Surfing, it was part of a historical season which is yet to come to an end. 

Todos Santos is the third stop of the WSL Big Wave World Tour of the year. ·Things are just heating up,” WSL says. How far are they willing to go? With the strongest El Niño for the past 20 years they say “All the Way!”.

On January 18 Surfer Today reported that Professional Surfer Josh Kerr won the Todos Santos Big Wave Challenge. Kerr is known for his performance as one of the top WSL World Elite CT surfers but proved that he could switch divisions and take on the Big Wave. 

“Josh Kerr has claimed the 2016 Todos Santos Challenge, held in spectacular 30-to-40-foot surf at Killers, a spot located off the coast of Baja California, Mexico.The World Championship Tour surfer put his big wave surfing trumps into play, and stormed an elite field of specialists, with two high-scored rides - a 7.87 and an 8.20,” Surfer Today reported. 

"I have so much respect for the guys on this tour and those that regularly commit themselves to surfing big waves. I have had the biggest smile on my face all day just getting to surf big waves with them. I'm really thankful for the opportunity to surf here today," Kerr told Surfer Today.

"I feel like one of those dogs with his head out the car window, I was smiling the whole time I was paddling around in the final. The goal was to have fun,” Kerr ended it. 

International surf and sport media picked up the news faster than what it takes to El Niño to bring big waves to the coast of Baja. 

Surfline reported “Its Official Kerr is Big Wave Rider!”. “Australian surfer Josh Kerr has won the second event on the Big Wave World Tour at the break Killers off the island of Todos Santos in Mexico,” ABC Australia reported.

"I literally haven't won a contest for probably about five years so I don't even know what this feeling of winning is that is going through my body right now," Kerr said after the final.

But Kerr was not the only nor the biggest star on the water in Todos Santos Challenge. The ocean and waves were the Big Show.

During the aftermath of the event once the motorbikes touched coast and boats followed after top athletes safely breathed in again WSL released the video “A Collection of Todos Santos Carnage”. 

The video showed the big drops and big falls, big breaks and strendous turbulent white-water, killer waves -riding a Todos Santos bomb proved to be a challenge even for the most experienced Big Wave Riders, and these guys do this for a living! 

“...the rewards of true commitment are often juxtaposed with those who tried and failed -- and there were a lot of fails at Todos. Behold, a little collection of the carnage.The ocean ignited in the opening minutes of Round 1, catching more than a few off guard,” WSL explained.

“The Todos Santos Challenge ran for the first time since 2010 in epic El Niño swell. The break is located an hour and a half south of the United States-Mexico border and 11 miles off the coast. The ocean's raw power was matched only by the sheer bravery (or insanity, depending on how you look at it...) of the big-wave chargers who made some incredible drops, but also suffered some heavy wipeouts throughout the day,” organizers added.

True to its professionalism and impeccable logistics WSL put on a hell of show live for broadcast viewers. A fleet of “flotilla fans” made their way to the set break to check out the event with enthusiasm from the ocean. Surfers were followed by high definition camera which went live around the world. Motorbikes, air helicopter aerial break breakdowns, expert analysis and communication shined at Santos. 

The ocean rumbled with massive walls of water which fell and broke as much as four times above the riders head. The break and foam, turbulent and dangerous rose its influence spreading it even further. The spot is known for its “Killers Pointbreak”. Heights can peak as much as 60 feet. But El Niño´s influence is not just affecting Baja but spreads around the world. 

On January 20  WSL reported that this El Niño was being called the “Winters of Winters”. 

“With more than a week left to go in January, the 2015-16 Big Wave season is already entering the "best ever" conversation and there's no sign of the Pacific going quiet,” WSL stated and added that there are still two months to go. 

Swells marched towards Hawaii and the West Coast, putting the big-wave riding community on high alert. Even the officials of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau -a classic Big Wave Invitational event looked  closely on the weather report and debated whether to run or not the event due to the intensity of waves and security of riders. 

At Maui Jaws “big-wave history is being revised weekly”. "Guys here are already calling this the 'winter of winters,'" Brad Domke rider told WSL. 

In November WSL had warned that El Niño was going to affect the Big Wave Tour. In the report “Big Wave Surfers Brace for El Niño” of that month WSL reported that the number of entries for the WSL Big Wave Awards reached a record number as Big Wave Surfers from around the world found bigger sets thanks to El Niño. 

“Surfers continuing to ready themselves for an unprecedented level of intensity during what is widely anticipated to be among the greatest winters for high surf in history,” WSL assured.

“Famously termed "too big to fail" by NASA climatologist Bill Patzert, the current El Niño weather phenomenon is among the most powerful ever recorded and is expected to wreak additional havoc around the world with exceptionally violent storms...For the surf community this superheating of the North Pacific Ocean is a source of great excitement, concern and preparation,” WSL warned in November 2015.  

Analysts compared this year El Niño with El Niños of 1969-70, 1982-83 and 1997-98 which produced the biggest waves scientifically recorded since the sport was introduced to the world. Experts added that during those years modern big wave riding techniques and equipment had not yet been tuned or developed which make this year´s El Niño special for the Big Wave Surf Community. 

"Any veteran surfer will tell you that the three previous major El Niño seasons in modern history produced the most extraordinary big wave seasons of all time," Bill Sharp Director of the WSL Big Wave Awards said adding that "the difference is that today the surfing community has developed the capability to potentially ride any wave the ocean can produce and has been actively training to be ready for whatever does come." 

"Since January 1, I've never seen this volume of entries in the history of the event," says Bill Sharp, the Big Wave Awards general manager. “That's what makes this the best winter we've ever seen, and there's still two months to go!"

The biggest El Niño for the past twenty years is upon us.  

Knowing this and knowing even much more of the tough conditions that they were going to face in Todos Santos the Big Wave Riders released their performance for the WSL Big Wave Tour Stop at Baja. Like Maverick chasers -some very experienced Maveric Chasers others not that much, the 24 Elite Big Wave Riders went in for it for the ride. 

Round 1 had four Heats each with 6 top Big Wave World riders. The ocean picked up incredible speed and with each set that rolled in it seemed to breathe behind the neck of the riders who were into a bumpy ride. Some waves brooke beautiful but going into a backdoor or inside a massive barrel was not part of the game. The waves were the type of waves one does not want to be in nor anywhere near when it collapses and breaks. Escaping the deep steep fall, riding the wave and escaping the lip became top priority and big points were given for riders who did just that. 

Mark Healey took the win of Round 1 Heat 1. The surfer from Hawaii no stranger to big waves scored a total of 22.49 points. Makuakai Rothman also from Hawaii followed with 21.76. 

Round 1 Heat 2 was taken by Brazilian Carlos Brune which topped with a 23.09. Brune rode out a 8.33 wave. The rider took the wave´s fall steep and saw the big swell collapse immediately. Volumes of water and foam covered the big wave surfer which for a moment disappeared in the fast moving volume of turbulent waters. Shaky the rider emerged. WSL gave Brune a 8.33 for escaping the lip and the surf out. 

Josh Kerr landed second position at Round 1 Heat 2 after combining a total of 22.83 competing side by side Brune. Kerr rode out an impressive style scoring 8.33 on his first Big Wave ever taken. 

As the first filter passing Heats concluded 6 more contenders prepared for Round 1 Heat 3. Jamie Mitchell took lead with 26.87 with two big scores riding a 9.27 and 8.33.  When a set of big waves came in Mitchells decided to take a wave that two other heat players took a look into the drop and let them pass go. Starting out in the break and going down like a cannonball Mitchell picked up hell of a speed. Board trembling Mitchell put on the breaks at the drop and went up the shoulder of the wave to the top of the lip  and mouth of a closed barrel. There Mitchell maneuvered back down and picked up speed again to finally drop off the ride where and when the wall weakened and whitewater cycle began. For the flawless fearless ride Mitchell's took home a 9.27.

At Round 1 the force of the waves battled the ocean. Just riding the waves itself was a challenge. Bumby, speedy  noisy, simply bombs and monsters of the ocean. 

WSL said that Mitchell was given a 8.33 in that Heat just for navigating "a bomb". 

Heat 4 Round 1 ended with the former Big Wave Champion Grego Long on top with an amazing score of 25.74. Long paddled into the breaking wave and rode it as far as humanly possible. The long ride of that Monster seemed to inspire Long. 

Waiting for another set was swiftly over when another giant came along and the former champ Long took the really steep drop off the wall.  Scoring a 8.67 Long paved his way to semifinals. 

Dane Gudauskas took second place in Heat 4 Round 1 and Damien Hobgood took third place with a 21.94 and a 8.17 wave. 

When one would think things could not go bigger nor get any faster Semifinals came in proving us wrong. Things began to get interesting and dangerous. 

On Heat 1 of Semifinals Kerr once again surprised the crew and crowd when he took the entire heat with a 25.69. Rusty Long rode out second with a 25.33 and Carlos Burle ended third with a 22.21. 

During Heat 1 of the Semifinals Rusty Long rode out a 9.40 almost perfect 10 Big Wave. The way Rusty rode out that wave, relaxed yet focused and on the edge made it look as if riding Big Waves is an easy thing to do. Nothing is further from the truth. The almost perfect score was given for a long smooth ride with deeps and ups, off the break and off the lip and through the shoulder. 

Heat 2 of Semifinals ended once again with Greg Long on top with a 26.93. Greg´s way of surfing also made it look easy, this is just what experienced top athletes of the international surfing community do, they make it look easy. Truth is that they train hard and have what it takes to ride it out. In the end the experience vibe is all over the place and breaks through. 

Damien Hobgood took second place of Heat 2 of Semifinals with a 25.77 and Nic Lamb third with 24.17. Hobgood also rode out a near perfect 9.10 wave dropping off the face and escaping the white water. 

Waves at the Final were super powered and hard to ride. Going down and away from the break became priority. With 60 minutes of sheer Big Wave Surfing heat to go the 6 Top World Surf sat it out there waiting for a set. Josh Kerr, Rusty Long, Greg Long, Carlos Burle, Nic Lamb and Damien Hobgood all earned their way to the Final heat. Ready for it, the ocean soon began to stir it up. 

More experienced big wave surfers played a strategy game of waiting and picking the right waves. Kerr on the other hand seemed to be having fun and surfed more than double the waves the other contenders took on.  

With 52 minutes to go on the Tag Heuer clock it all started. A set came in and the best wave of the set was picked. Kerr, Burle and Lamb took all that first point wave ride. Kerr was better positioned and found an opening off the wall and before the break and saw his way out the deep slide. White water covered him as fast as he descended that monster. 

Ignited like a non-stop-locomotor that wave proved to be hard to handle for Burle and Lamb who took the fall early before the break. Burle scored a 1.33 for that short ride and Lamn took home a 6.17 for having stood it for longer seconds. 

Kerr-the only one who made it all the way down the “supreme wave” got a 7.10 from the WSL judges. 

As minutes continued the ocean seemed to calm down for a second or two and commentators jumped in while riders looked out for the coming set. The horizon was far distant, the waters there can be called open waters. Commentators of WSL Broadcast spoke about Favorite to win Greg Long but all 6 riders waited out for the next wave really close to each others. Kerr was making a name and lead the Heat. 

All in all Kerr rode 5 waves in the Final of which the last two were his best scores. Having fun with it Kerr chose to ride as many waves as he thought wise while others played the waiting game. Kerr rode 5 waves the rest rode 2 waves for the points. 

Just minutes after the first wave was over Kerr took another wave and scored a 7.33. His technique of Big Wave racer seemed to be improving! This 7.33 score was faster and harder, a drop and ride down the face and wall and out of the whitewater. 

Kerr lead the Heat from the beginning to end. Middle into the heat Greg Long took a 8.67 smooth ride but finally Kerr managed to break into a 7.87 and a 8.20 ride totaling a 24.27 which gave him the beaming light trophy of Todos Santos. 

Hobgood -another surfer who is known for his performance at the WSL CT World Tour also made it to the final. Both Hobgood and Kerr were present at the final stop of the 2015 WSL Elite World Surf Tour in Hawaii Pipe Masters where Adriano de Souza took the event and the crown of the year. Both Kerr and Hobgood are ranked for the 2016 World Tour. The way they surfed at Pipe was also impressive proving that they are versatile surfers to say the least. 

“Burle's wisdom and Nic Lamb's eagerness represented their respective generations proudly. In the final, Greg and Rusty long were enjoying their first big-wave session together in years, and it seemed appropriate it would be at Todos, given it's the place where they both cut their big-wave teeth,” WSL reported from the water. 

“Kerr's share of the purse was 18,750 USD and a stunning TAG Heuer Aquaracer watch from the Big Wave Tour sponsor,” WSL announced the win…

...but we all known that the real value of Big Wave Surfing is another, don't we? 

Priceless, dangerous, demanding, adrenaline pumped, mystical, magical, fearless and now urging for caution, the El Niño season and Big Waves riding is far from over.