Kaiser’s, Oahu Webcams

Kaiser’s Surf Cam

Legendary Surf Break: The Story of Kaiser’s on Oahu

Kaiser’s, Oahu Webcams. For generations, Kaiser’s has been a sacred surf spot for wave riders on Oahu’s famous North Shore. This legendary break in Waimea Bay offers some of the most challenging and revered waves in the world when the winter swells arrive.

The spot’s name derives from the former landowners, the Kaiser family of Hawaii. In the early 1900s, the Kaisers operated one of the North Shore’s largest ranch lands that encompassed much of Waimea Valley and Bay. While the ranch has long since closed, the crashing waves that break over the shallow reef just offshore have become world-famous among surfers.

In its earliest days, only a few intrepid Hawaiian watermen had the skills to navigate the powerful winter waves at Kaiser’s. As tourism grew in the 1920s, word began to spread about the incredible surfing conditions. The first Mainland visitors started making the trek during big swells, laying the groundwork for the professional surf culture and exploration that followed.

The 1950s and 60s marked a golden age as surfing pioneers like Greg Noll, Mike Stange, and Paul Gebauer constantly pursued bigger, more extreme waves. They shaped the philosophy and attitudes that came to define theaudacious tow-in surfing that occurs at Kaiser’s today when facing waves over 25 feet.

On November 28, 1983, Kaiser’s cemented its place in history during an El Niño winter. That day saw some of the largest, most hellacious waves ever ridden, as towering 30-35 foot faces thundered through. Only a handful of the world’s best big-wave riders had the ability and courage to challenge that day at Kaiser’s, including Mark Foo, Bugs Philips, and Ken Bradshaw.

While conditions of that magnitude are rare, the winter months from October to March reliably deliver waves in the towering 20-30 foot range at Kaiser’s. The Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational, one of the most prestigious big-wave surfing competitions, often runs during this season and has produced incredible wipeouts and historic rides at the break.

Today, tow-in teams using jet skis are able to catch waves once deemed unrideable due to their sheer size and power. Capturing incredible rides at places like Kaiser’s has become a driving obsession in the world of big-wave surfing as the best riders constantly push the limits of what’s possible. Kaiser’s remains a sacred testing ground for the elite when Mother Nature’s biggest swells roll through.

For more information, visit the official Oahu website.

Kaiser’s, Oahu Webcams

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