Big Storms ... Make ... Big Waves!

     

Anybody ready for a good storm?     

     Here in Hawaii there is a lot of concern about hurricanes. Rightfully so, there have been several horrendous storms that have hit this island state, with very destructive results.  Hurricane Iniki nearly destroyed the island of Kuaui, where we spent last week. 
     In fact we got a taste of the intense effects of an incredibly intense storm while we were there. 
     This week we are on the Big Island, named the same as the state - Hawaii - and there was a big hurricane scare with Ignacio heading this way and warnings of severe weather and "you better get ready, no kidding this time ..."  

     Only it missed the island (thankfully).  So it was a near miss but it brought a rather amazing consequence, Big Waves!  
     Really big swells from the hurricane, far offshore, hit the beaches of the Big Island near Hilo and Pahoa.  Along with a whole lot of locals, we went to watch.
     I don't think I've ever seen such terrific waves .... and terrific surfing.  The locals turned out for a chance to surf the really big waves, and these guys are experts - fearless in the face of some really big monster water.  It was great!

     
     Not sure if you can tell from the picture above, but these waves were up to twenty feet high.  You can pick out the surfers (they look tiny) in the picture. 
     Indeed, the whole town turned out to surf and to watch.  The crowds would often cheer a really good ride.  The water was crowded to the point where they needed "traffic cops" on Sea-Doos to keep everyone reasonably safe!

     We had a great time with our close friends, Jeff and Debbie, who live here on the Big Island and had a blast exploring all the big waves and the area.  They know the best spots!

  

There is a lot to do here! 

     Our tour around the island also included a few stops at noteworthy sites such as Waipio Canyon, with spectacular views of the water and valley below.  

     One of the things that the Big Island (Hawaii) is known for is the active lava flows coming from the active volcanoes.  We went to to a local road that has been closed by lava. Pretty wild.  This kind of thing doesn't happen anywhere else in the world. 

     
     We also had an expected guest outside our accommodations when a turkey showed up.  There were actually about a dozen milling around outside our window in the morning.   I don't know ... I just didn't expect to see turkeys in Hawaii.  

     Jeff works at an observatory on top of Mauna Kea, one of the best places in the world to observe the stars.  When I tried to capture the mountain, it ... well, it doesn't photograph well. 
     Hard to believe, but what appears to be a "hill" is almost 14,000 feet high.  Most of the Hawaiian islands are basically volcanoes rising out of the sea.  It doesn't shoot up into the sky or have a dramatic profile like Mount Hood, but it is actually a lot higher and bigger, and so is its brother Mauna Loa, on the same island.