October’s here. That means many things, of course, and one in particular is the simple fact that a new winter on the North Shore is on the horizon. This is the time of year we typically see that “first” winter swell — sometimes not much more than a pulse with a few barrels opening up and anybody and everybody coming to the party. Sometimes that first swell makes Pipe look like it’s in midseason form.
A fun day at V-land is anything but Pipe in midseason form. Still, it’s some juice to get excited for opening your computer every other day and seeing North Shore action. And it’s 15 minutes of some damn good surfing — Mason Ho, Michael Ho, and Barron Mamiya showing up for that October Northwest pulse and getting their fair share (and then some) of the early season action. And as you can see, this was one of those pulses that brought a few barrels and plenty of bodies into the lineup.
Just imagine what those crowds are going to look like when we’ve moved past these little October pulses and are soaking up full-on, dead-of-winter, thumping North Shore swells. Winter is coming, and that’s a great thing.