If you’re not ahead of someone at Malibu, you’re behind them. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
If you follow surfing, even in the slightest way, it’s likely that you’re aware of what happened in California recently. A giant south swell lit up some of the coastline’s famous waves, and of all the famous waves on that famous coastline, Malibu is, perhaps, the most famous. Famous because it’s a great wave with a starring role in surfing’s history. But also famous for its crowds.
Koa Rothman surfs in a lot of crowded lineups. That’s because he plans strike missions to some of the world’s best waves when the forecasts are right, but that means that he’s not the only one. The lineups he’s in are often clogged not with everyday surfers, but with pro surfers. You’d think, then, that Malibu would be a breeze. But Malibu is not a breeze. Malibu has different laws. Awful laws. Laws that aren’t laws at all. If you’re on a wave at Malibu, it’s very likely you’re not the only one surfing it. Which is why Koa Rothman, a guy who has surfed Teahupo’o and Pipeline at their biggest, called Malibu “the world’s most dangerous wave.”
Hyperbolic? Perhaps. But a ring of truth is in that hyperbole, because laws exist for a reason, and a lawless wave like Malibu is a dangerous one. It’s like that old saying: a dull knife is a dangerous knife.”
Although Koa knew that he was likely going to hate surfing Malibu, he went anyway. And he’ll go again, because there’s just something about that wave that draws people back. When it’s good, it’s too good to pass up, no matter how many people you’re sharing it with. It’s like Koa says at the start of this video: “just take a deep breath and enjoy it.”
