Jaws: The Wave That Revolutionized Tow-In Surfing

Ian Walsh surfing Jaws in Maui, Hawaii, 2021 - Fred Pomperpayer / Red Bull Content Pool

On the north shore of Maui Island in Hawái, there is a wave that for decades was considered impossible to surf. Its official name is Peʻahi, but the entire world knows it as Jaws.

Before the 1990s, many surfers watched this spot from the cliffs without imagining that anyone could ride those massive walls of water. The problem was not only the size. Fast and extremely violent, the wave broke with so much speed and power that paddling into it like in traditional surfing seemed impossible, and for years it was viewed as unsurfable.

Andrea Moller and photographer Satchi Cunningham watch a wave at Peahi (Jaws), Maui, Hawaii, 2023 - Michael Ito / Red Bull Content Pool

Everything changed when surfers like Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama and Buzzy Kerbox began experimenting with jet skis, turning Jaws into the place where one of the biggest revolutions in surfing was born: tow-in surfing.

Annie Reickert surfs at Red Bull Magnitude at Jaws while being towed in, 2022 - Christa Funk / Red Bull Content Pool

The idea was simple but revolutionary: use a jet ski to tow the surfer and give them the speed needed before entering the wave, requiring a high level of coordination between the driver and the surfer. Jet skis also play a key rescue role, allowing surfers to be quickly pulled out before the next wave in the set breaks.

The impact of tow-in surfing was enormous. Thanks to this innovation, other giant waves around the world began to be explored, including Nazaré, Teahupoʻo and Mavericks.

Tow-in surfing with the lighthouse in the background in Nazaré, Portugal, 2023 - Ricardo Bravo / Red Bull Content Pool

As for the Hawaiian spot, it became a true laboratory for the evolution of extreme surfing, where surfers such as Kai Lenny, Billy Kemper, Justine Dupont and Lucas Chumbo pushed the level further and further, and what began in Maui ultimately redefined the limits of modern surfing.

Kai Lenny surfing at Jaws, Maui, HI, 2020 - Brady Lawrence / Red Bull Content Pool

Today, Jaws represents much more than just a Hawaiian wave. It is the place where big wave entered a new era that pushed human limits and turned tow-in surfing into a fundamental part of big wave surfing.