Posted on: Sunday, July 4, 2004

Cabrinha's 70-footer gets award

Advertiser Staff

Maui's Pete Cabrinha won the first-place award for Biggest Tow-Wave of the Winter in the 1st annual International Towsurfer Awards, presented by Towsurfer.com and AzhiaziaM.com yesterday in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Cabrinha's wave, measured at 70 feet on the face, came from the epic January 10 session at Jaws, on the north coast of Maui, perhaps the biggest day ever photographed there.

Cabrinha, who was towed into his wave by Rush Randle, will receive $1,000 and product support for his victory. His winning wave was photographed by Charles Oreve of Side Shore Media, who will receive $300 and product support.

"The January 10 swell was forecast long in advance and was pretty hyped-up before it arrived," said Cabrinha, who won $70,000 for the same wave in the Billabong XXL Awards in April. "Everyone was either planning on surfing or watching, and it turned out to be a good day for both."

Cabrinha said it was crowded that day so he watched for almost two hours before setting out, then waited for the right set.

"We let the first two go through and took the third. It ended up being a bomb," Cabrinha said. "I let go of the rope pretty early so I could get my board up to speed to see if it was going to do anything weird. ... Since it was my first wave, I stuck to the basics and tried to surf it clean. When I kicked out, Rush was screaming, saying that was the biggest thing he had ever seen."

Maui's Ian Walsh placed third in the Biggest Tow-Wave category, while O'ahu's Garrett McNamara finished second in the Biggest Tow-Barrel category.