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This was the day of days. It was so big this winter, but still inviting. The wave heights were huge, but the period wasn't too long so you could still manage to catch them. I ended up taking this one on the head and got dragged underwater further than I had ever gone before. I popped up near the rocks. Luckily, the rescue team was there to save me. There is no doubt in my mind that if Kurtis Chong Kee wasn't there, I would have gone into the rocks! Photo: Tom Servais
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Honolua Bay is one of my favorite places on Earth. I feel very blessed to have grown up here on Maui. The crowds can be super crazy, so that helps a lot. One of my favorite people to surf the Bay with is Kevin Sullivan. He is the King of the Bay. Photo: Tai Vandyke
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This year's El Niño was so crazy. Jaws was seemingly on fire every week. It felt like I never got a break. Now I wish it never did! Photo: Gavin Shige
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I got the name Coconut Willie after I got a deadly parasite in Indonesia when I was 18. I almost died from kidney and liver failure. Nothing I tried seemed to work or help. Between homeopathic medicine and modern-day Western medicine. So, I decided to drink one fresh coconut every morning for two weeks. It healed me back to 100% and I've been in love with the coconut ever since. Photo: Nick Ricca (@nickricca)
Editor’s Note: #HeavyMissions is a brand new series featuring surfing’s big-wave elite members. These are the stories told by the watermen and women from the heaviest waves around the world. The fifth in the series is Maui charger and coconut enthusiast, Coconut Willie.
I got the name Coconut Willie after I got a deadly parasite in Indonesia when I was 18. I almost died from kidney and liver failure. Between homeopathic medicine and modern-day Western medicine, nothing I tried seemed to work or help. So, I decided to drink one fresh coconut every morning for two weeks. It healed me back to 100% and I’ve been in love with the coconut ever since. Here’s a small selection of photos taken over this past El Niño.