KAILUA-KONA — Boarded up storefronts peppered the north end of Alii Drive Thursday morning, standing in lonely juxtaposition to a thoroughfare bustling with foot and vehicle traffic.
Spectators lined the seawall, phones in hand and mouths agape. Children shrieked and giggled as waves crashed into the rocks below, an explosive ocean spray occasionally drenching those who ventured too close to the edge.
The draw was a seldom-seen swell in Kailua Bay, courtesy of Hurricane Lane, which beckoned body boarders and surfers alike with the rare opportunity to ride some of the island’s most iconic waters.
“It’s been almost 20 years probably since it’s broken like this inside the bay,” said Willy Petrovic, who was hoping the swell would double or even triple in size come Thursday afternoon. “I haven’t seen one like this since I was a kid.”
Petrovic estimated the swell at around five to six feet. The National Weather Service office in Honolulu corroborated his guess, saying surf on the island’s west side topped out at roughly six feet, based on reports.
By Freddy Huihui’s recollection, it was 2014 the last time a hurricane riled up Kailua Bay enough to ride — and he wasn’t going to miss his chance.
“When we got up at the crack of dawn, we knew we were coming out here,” said Leilani Dudoit, who greeted Huihui as he made his way out of the water up the beach alongside the north end of Hulihee Palace.
That sentiment spread up and down the West Hawaii coast as morning slipped into afternoon, even as strong winds whipped through Waikoloa and Kawaihae and torrential rain pummeled much of the Big Island’s windward side.
The state and county closed all beach parks in anticipation of the hurricane’s arrival, but it did little to deter west side oceangoers. The gates at Old Kona Airport park were shut to visitors, barring entrance to the parking lot. As the day wore on, however, vehicles began to line Kuakini Highway and Makala Boulevard, backing up for blocks.
“They can close the gate,” said one surfer who declined to provide his name as he was technically disregarding an official directive, “but they can’t shut down the shoreline.”
It wasn’t just the wave riders who took pleasure in the uncommon swell at Kailua Bay. For many who had the day off due to expected weather hazards, the surf and the surfers provided a free show.
“This is fantastic,” said Pat Marsh, who stood on the mauka side of Alii Drive watching the waves come in.