Towing Into The Madness Zone Comment(s)

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Kudos to Midweek Hawaii for listing Michael Willis in the same pantheon as legendary and respectable surfers Laird Hamilton, Buzzy Kerbox and David Kalama. It’s awesome to see Willis receive recognition for his great accomplishments and contributions to the sport of surfing in Hawaii.

Though possibly the least known a case could be made that Willis has contributed the most to surfing. Recognized by Surfing magazine as one of the top five surfboard shapers in the world the list of surfers who have ridden his big wave guns reads like a surfing who’s who including Mark Foo, Ace Cool, Ross Clark Jones and others.

Michael Willis is credited for countless successful rescues in extremely hazardous ocean conditions. Amongst the hundred of successful rescues he performed at his own risk, Willis was there to save David Kahanamoku (directly related to Duke Kahanamoku) from the pounding Waimea bay shorebreak. It is well known that Michael Willis also saved the life of Hawaiian big wave legend Titus Kinimaka from Kauai in what goes down as one of the most truely dramatic dramatic successful rescues in maritime history.

In addition to being a big wave legend credited with helping to pioneer the tow surfing movement Willis is one of a handful of surfers to actually surf a tsunami along with Jay Adams and pro surfer Michael Ho. Michael Willis is also recognized for surfing the state of Hawaii’s first, second and only condition blacks (illegal to go on or near the beach let alone surf due to massive waves). On the first code black Willis paddled into history and the largest waves ever surfed at Waimea bay along with his brother Milton Willis, Tony Ray, Ross Clark Jones and Ted Schmidt. On the second code black the Eddie Aikau big wave surfing contest was cancelled due to waves deemed to big to humanly ride. Michael Willis along with his brother Milton Willis, Sam Hawk and pro surfer Cheyne Horan surfed outer Log Cabins and outside Sunset Beach during a famous swell known as biggest Wednesday. It is widely accepted that to this date no surfer has ever ridden waves this larger. To this date there has not been another condition black beach closing issued by the state of Hawaii , Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono.

Posted by svenwright  on  01/06  at  11:30 PM

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