#HeavyMissions: From Puerto to Pipeline with Mariana Marenelmar

As we all know, Puerto Escondido is the king of the Mexican beachbreaks. Nobody can resist the charm of this place when it gets XXL. Last year was one for the books in big-wave surfing, and especially one of the best seasons for Puerto. May 3rd was a day to remember. A huge SSW swell arrived bringing 30- to 50-foot waves. And while Mark Healey was riding the biggest wave ever paddled on Mexican sand, Pedro Calado was getting one of the worst wipeouts of his life (pictured above). Photo: Mariana Marenelmar

Compared to Pe’ahi, everything else looks small. My last heavy mission was traveling there to join the WSL photography team for the Pe’ahi Challenge. I was really amazed at the beauty of Maui. The night before contest I struggled to sleep because I was so excited and anxious, thinking about the next day. Early in the morning the production team arrived to the cliff, and it wasn't until first light that I witnessed the true power of Pe’ahi. This was the first Pe’ahi Challenge in history, and definitely the local boys took the show that day. Photo: Mariana Marenelmar

As a freelance photographer, one needs to be always looking for the best bet for the next swells coming. However, sometimes that doesn’t matter. Sometimes luck plays an essential roll in the game. One of the first big south swells of the year was headed to Mexico and I was ready to head to Puerto Escondido. But my surfer girl friend Ana convinced me to go to Pascuales instead. The charts predicted 8- to 10-foot surf, but by the time the swell arrived, it had mutated into 20- to 30-foot. For three days straight the swell kept growing and the conditions got cleaner. The wind was smooth and the action in the water was like nothing I saw before. It was some of the biggest and most perfect waves I had seen in my life. Photo: Mariana Marenelmar

Last year, my mission to Puerto Escondido was epic. Massive XXL swell hit the South Pacific and that day was one of the biggest days Puerto has seen in a very long time. The town was flooded, the military was in the streets, and people and cars were getting swept away by the water. Locals say this was the craziest ocean they’ve ever seen in over 10 years. Every big-wave surfer around the world showed up to Zicatela Beach. Photo: Mariana Marenelmar

As a freelance photographer, one needs to be always looking for the best bet for the next swells coming. However, sometimes that doesn’t matter. Sometimes luck plays an essential roll in the game. One of the first big south swells of the year was headed to Mexico and I was ready to head to Puerto Escondido. But my surfer girl friend Ana convinced me to go to Pascuales instead. The charts predicted 8- to 10-foot surf, but by the time the swell arrived, it had mutated into 20- to 30-foot. For three days straight the swell kept growing and the conditions got cleaner. The wind was smooth and the action in the water was like nothing I saw before. It was some of the biggest and most perfect waves I had seen in my life. Photo: Mariana Marenelmar

Last winter was my first time in Hawaii. I always wondered what it was like in person. When the time finally came, a big swell hit the and it was even better than I had ever imagined. Photo: Mariana Marenelmar