No surfer in Hawaii isn’t completely geeked out of their mind for this winter. El Niño. Super El Niño. Godzilla El Niño. Super Godzilla Radical El Mega Niño. We’ve been hearing every non-scientific nickname imaginable since April to mentally prepare for a season of waves that should be historic. And big wave surfer Matt Bromley isn’t about to let this one pass without being prepared.
Bromley has his eye on one wave in particular this winter: Jaws.
“It’s the most terrifying place on the planet, but it’s also the place where I’ve experienced some of the most joy in my life, the most satisfaction, and it’s taken me to the edge of my surfing ability,” the South African hellman says.
Bromley may very well catch the biggest wave of his life this winter. It can happen anywhere. He’s not anchored to Hawaii, but Pe’ahi is in his crosshairs. He has already noticed the effects of El Niño while in South Africa. The season so far has been dry, according to Matt, and the lack of storms has matched the lack of XL swells there.
“Looking back at 2015-2016, that’s when we had the last really strong El Niño. We pretty much ran out of water here in Cape Town. That, in turn, made for the best season in big wave surfing history for Hawaii,” he says. He had the sessions of his life and the biggest waves.
Editor’s Note: Matt Bromley is documenting his big wave season during this winter’s El Niño. You can watch Road to Jaws on YouTube here.
