Daniel Calohan's article on Kaena Point ran in the July 1973 issue of SURFER. This version has been slightly edited.

For no-mistakes-allowed danger, the only thing I think at all possible to compare with riding 40'-plus waves at Kaena Point would be mountain climbing in the Himalayas, and possibly rock climbing the Eiger in Switzerland, or Half Dome in Yosemite. The one essential difference being that these feats have been attempted and re-attempted until achieved. Yet Kaena Point has yet to be seriously challenged. Could this then be surfing's ultimate challenge? I think there's little doubt in anyone who has witnessed Kaena Point really breaking, that for a big-wave surfer, Kaena is unsurpassed as the ultimate for big-wave shape and conditions. And that anyone ever thinking seriously about pulling it off, has realized that it's a borderline situation at best. On a 40- to 50-foot day at Kaena, going over the falls would be the end of the hunt. And getting caught inside, even with artificial breathing equipment, would still take a supreme effort to survive, not to mention luck.

No matter what breakthroughs occur, it's never going to be a practical place to surf if for no other reason than that a paddle-out or swim-in is impossible. There's no beach, just lots of jagged lava rock cliffs with solid walls of whitewater constantly and relentlessly sweeping against them.

Buzzy Trent is the guy I first remember seriously considering the quest. For sure, Trent is one of the most formidable big-wave riders and watermen of his time. In fact, I doubt if they make them like Buzzy anymore. Crude style, perhaps, compared to today's big-wave riders, but you must consider the equipment available in his active era as compared to today's sophisticated designs. But Buzzy has definitely ridden as large a wave as anyone to this day. I recall seeing pictures of a day at Makaha, I believe in 1958, with Buzzy on a wall approaching or surpassing 30 feet. It was as big as the swell of '69, with the waves breaking out past the bowl, just huge, incredibly long walls, breaking out to sea—similar, in fact, to the conditions at Kaena Point, but on a lesser scale. 

Some years later, when he was riding for Dick Brewer and surfboards had become faster and more maneuverable, Trent began contemplating the requirements and possibilities of tackling Kaena. He knew you'd need a helicopter for getting out and, hopefully, back in. A breathing device good for three-to-five minutes for emergencies, and a surfboard you could put supreme confidence in. 

But surfing at the time was beginning to undergo profound changes, with the new era of boards and surfers arriving on the scene with a more international and varied level of thought than ever before. With all the influx of equipment and surfing changes, big waves lost their eminence and importance as such—it was no longer just riding the biggest waves, but what you were doing on the waves. Maneuverability and style became the most desirable factors, and for several years no one really cared about or considered the Kaena Point challenge.

Trent, meanwhile, was unable to identify with shortboards or long hair. He got caught up and lost in the change, and pretty much dropped out of the scene. I like to believe, though, that if Buzzy was in his prime and had the equipment, he would have been the first to attempt the challenge.

Going back to the 1960s: Greg Noll once made a special 13' long stick with the idea of assaulting Kaena, and he indeed rode some very large waves that season at Makaha, Waimea, and Outside Pipeline, but for some reason never put it together for Kaena Point.

The next addition to the small list of challengers was George Downing, who reflecting the new attitudes of professionals within the sport, said he'd be happy to make an attempt on Kaena, but he wanted to make it worth his while. To hell with the ego-satisfying aspects of the ride; how about some cash for putting his life on the line? George wanted all necessary equipment provided and paid for, and somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,500 for performing the task. Being a shaper and designer himself, he'd take care of his own board needs and design the specialized breathing apparatus. Just a helicopter and a couple of grand. 

Alas, there were no takers, and the opportunity again slipped by.

The most recent word of a new challenge comes from Jim "Wildman" Neece, by far the youngest and perhaps the boldest yet. Neece, like Downing, is interested in capitalizing financially. Jim recently stopped by SURFER, and we talked about the challenge of Kaena.

Downing was thinking about riding it a few years ago. He let it be known that he would attempt to ride it for a couple of thousand dollars. I've discussed the possibilities of riding it with big-wave veterans like Jose Angel and Buzzy Trent. It can be done with the proper safety precautions and equipment, like a helicopter, the right board, and a mini-supply of oxygen.

They have small emergency tanks available at dive shops that could be rigged to a harness affair on your back or shoulders, or even smaller, lighter tanks hooked directly to a mouthpiece and worn on my head—it would need to be worked out, but I think it's possible.

Do you think three minutes of air is sufficient?

You'd make or break it in that amount of time. I mainly need it for diving under waves and getting to a position to be picked up.

When I've seen it, the left is too out of control—impossible. But the right is an open door pushing out to sea around the point toward Makaha.

Have you seen it break quite a few times?

I saw it in December '69 when it was 60-plus. There's no stopping how big it can get because it won't close out; it just breaks out into open ocean.

What size would you contemplate riding it?

Would you have attempted it that day it was 60'?

If the money was on the beach, and the copter and all, I'd do it.

Possibly, but with the experience I've gained over the last few years, I feel quite confident—enough to risk it.

Downing, Trent, Butch van Artsdalen. I'd gain as much knowledge from them as I could. Get the whole idea charted out beforehand. So I'd know as much as possible and have procedures worked out with the helicopter and everything. Check the currents and rips ahead of time. It probably would just be a one- or two-wave shot—maybe only one wave! But if the lineup looks right and I felt right about it. I'd just go surfing.

Probably a cable with a loop on it. If it got hairy, I sure wouldn't worry about the board. A helicopter would be mainly necessary if I got caught inside and washed in, then it would come in real handy. At that point. I'd be getting a bit nervous.

What does it break like when it's big? Is it hollow or mushy?

The left makes Pipeline look mushy and the right looks as hollow, but more makeable. It definitely doesn't crumble over like Outside Pipe and then reform inside. It throws out, with a ledge like Waimea, only bigger. Once upon a time, no one had ridden Pipeline or Waimea, and now look at those spots. Once somebody rides it, then quite a few guys will go out. If I'm the one to break the ice, maybe I can make myself some bucks. Like that time I rescued that guy at Outside Rocky Point. It was perfect that day, and I had the right board. I didn't even want to come in, and it was huge and never previously ridden.

At least 12'. There's so much water moving up the face, you'd need lots of paddling power to get over the ledge in time and down the face—sure wouldn't want to go over the falls. A super-radical board with lots of release, 'cause like I said, you'd be getting sucked up the wave real fast.

Who are you trying to get to sponsor you?

I've got an agent who's talking to TV people, like the Thrillseekers and Wide World of Sports, and possibly to the sponsors for those shows. That's where I'm at right now. Trying to get a sponsor and attempt it next winter—get the board ahead of time and go into a heavy training schedule, then if the bucks are there, go for it.

What will you do with the money if it happens?

I think they're good once I convince them of the scale of the attempt and sign a waiver so they're not responsible if I get maxed out.

And so it goes on. As it has in the past. The winters come and go; sometimes there is talk and sometimes there is none. But the challenge is there. Maybe Jim Neece will get it together—and if he doesn't, someday someone will.

"THE KAENA CHALLENGE" (1973)

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