about 10 years ago, i flew to Japan to chase a Super Typhoon. i ended up in Shikoku at this very localized secret spot. the waves were 8-12′ Hawaiian scale. i rode a 7’6 and wish i had a longer one. paddling in and out was a bit tricky because you had to get past this monster shore break. and to top that off, there are no lifeguards or rescue so if you get into a dangerous situation, only you can save yourself. so yeah, i guess you can call it high risk surfing. timing is of the essence. if you time it right, you will flow in and out like a seal. but if you time it wrong, you could have one of these waves breaking on your head and everything could go wrong. break your board or leash and you’re dead. when i surf big waves, i block a lot of things out. i don’t think about risk or fear because if i do, i know things will go wrong. i actually think the opposite so i’m pretty calm. i’m the “if you don’t go, you won’t know” kind of guy so i just go. but after seeing this photo, i wouldn’t have paddled out if i knew it was that big. haha…
