NORTH SHORE — A convoy of beat-up trucks, vans with roof racks and rental SUVs inched along Kamehameha Highway, through the old pineapple fields, toward Hale'iwa.

In the distance, the Pacific Ocean — and seven miracle miles of surf — beckoned.

It's November, and the annual pilgrimage has already begun.

For decades, O'ahu's North Shore — particularly its celebrated waves — has lured the curious and the courageous.

During winter months, the coastline population of 18,000 triples, swelling with snowbirds and surfers, gawkers and gazers.

More than 2 million visitors to O'ahu make the trek to the North Shore every year, adding rental cars to an already-overused two-lane highway.

Traffic snarls, crowded breaks, skyrocketing home values — welcome to the 21st century.

"It's definitely bittersweet," said 32-year-old pro surfer Ross Williams, who grew up in Waialua and now lives in Pupukea. "The goods outweigh the bads by a mile, but it definitely gets irritating at times. Still, I'm really, really happy to be here. I wouldn't live anywhere else."

SMALL-TOWN CHARM

On any given day, the population of residents and visitors on the North Shore reaches about 23,000 — nearly doubling the resident-only numbers — according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

And as wave heights increase, so do the numbers of people. Last week, surf approached the advisory levels of 15 feet, enticing visitors to pull over at popular surf spots and wait for the impending northwest swell to roll in.

While the crowds may be good for local businesses — and they appreciate the boost — residents, more annoyed by the crowds than impressed with the surf, just want to get through their day.

"There's people here year-round now," said Williams' wife, Jennifer, 32, a teacher at Sunset Beach Elementary. "If we leave the house now, we have to plan on not going back."

Residents are clinging to what they love most about the North Shore — its small-town charm, its indescribable beauty, its quiet nights and perfect sunrises. They know that it's exactly what they love about their neighborhood that lures the millions of visitors every year.

It's a love-hate thing.

"We do the best we can, trying to keep what we have and hold on to what we believe makes us special," said Kathleen Pahinui, Waialua resident and chairwoman of the North Shore Neighborhood Board. "We know how fortunate we are to live here."

LIFE DREAM

There are two versions of the North Shore.

The one you see glamorized in surf movies and magazines ... and the one where people live.

Often the two don't match up.

Australia resident Petter Carlweitz, 30, has dreamed about O'ahu's famed coastline ever since he saw the '87 cult classic "North Shore" more than a decade ago.

He convinced his buddy, Johan Kateby, to endure a 22-hour flight from Stockholm to meet up on O'ahu just to witness last week's waves.

The crowded beaches, the traffic jams, the throngs of tourists — nothing surprised him.

"It was exactly the way I had imagined," said Carlweitz, a graphic designer and surfer who was eating a sandwich outside Foodland in Pupukea. "I had been reading about this place for 15 years. I watched movies and read magazines. I knew more than most people."

The friends planned to spend only a few days on the North Shore before jetting to Kaua'i. But the forecast of bigger surf later in the week changed their plans.

"I want to see Waimea Bay break," Carlweitz said, "big."

Ken Burtness of Pupukea likened his first time visiting the North Shore to seeing a beautiful woman he couldn't stop thinking about.

"Once you see it, you can't let it go," said the former substance-abuse prevention counselor who now teaches at Chaminade University. "I haven't been able to let it go since."

Thirty years ago, Burtness would never have imagined living on the North Shore. Now he can't imagine living anywhere else. His house is just steps from Ke Iki Beach, a place he never tires of.

The traffic, the crowds — none of that has changed his tender feelings about the neighborhood.

"The beach I live on is just as renewing today as it was in the '70s," he said. "If I get stressed, I can look out at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

"The mountains, the valleys, all those things are still here — and why I'm still here. It's why I'm still in love with this place."

CROWDS

The crowds bring more than traffic congestion to the North Shore. Consider this: On a good day at 'Ehukai, with clean conditions and overhead surf, there could be up to 500 people in the water. That's not counting the hordes of spectators on the beach.

But there's only one lifeguard tower at 'Ehukai Beach Park, which fronts the treacherous Pipeline and Backdoors breaks. (There's another tower nearby at Ke Waena Beach.)

In fact, along the North Shore's seven-mile stretch of some of the world's best surf spots, there are only five full-time lifeguard towers.

"It's like we're sitting at a red light, just waiting for an accident to happen," said veteran lifeguard Mark Dombroski, 51, who has worked on the North Shore for 30 years. "You just gotta do the best you can to control the situation, but in reality, the situation is out of control."

With only five beach towers, the city's Ocean Safety/Lifeguard Services Division has had to ramp up other areas. Recently, it expanded its rescue program. Now, the North Shore has five certified Jet Ski operators, trained for big-wave rescues.

Dozens of city lifeguards are now certified emergency medical technicians, including a handful on the North Shore.

As the crowds get bigger, the lifeguards get better prepared.

"It's tough, it's challenging and it's way more demanding," said Capt. Bodo Van Der Leeden. "You can't let your guard down. Something can always go wrong."

Just as the winter surf affects residents who have to fight traffic just to buy milk at Foodland, the yearly onslaught of visitors has changed the way lifeguards do their jobs, too.

City lifeguards are using all-terrain vehicles to patrol unguarded surf spots that, in recent years, have become crowded.

At popular spots like Laniakea and Chun's Reef, mobile lifeguard stations — lifeguards working out of fully equipped trucks — have been set up for emergencies.

The number of people on the beach has tripled from 20 years ago, Dombroski said. And he doesn't see an end.

There are more novice surfers paddling out in conditions that are way above their skill levels.

In summer, more visitors than ever before are snorkeling and kayaking in unfamiliar waters.

"Oh, I see this only escalating," Dombroski said.

VIEW FROM FIREHOUSE

The Pupukea fire station, directly across the street from Foodland, overlooks Three Tables and Shark's Cove. It has arguably the best view of any fire station anywhere, complete with a barbecue grill in the backyard.

But the million-dollar view comes at a price — in the form of rescues ranging from surfing accidents to missing hikers to saving sheep that get stuck in fences.

"We have really unique calls," said Hilo-born firefighter Eddie Cheplic, 35, laughing.

It doesn't help that the worsening traffic along Kamehameha Highway — especially near Laniakea, or Turtle Beach — can slow firefighters down.

And when the surf's up, they get ready for anything.

"There are more and more surfers in the water," said Capt. Stephen "Barney" Johnson, 56, who's been at this station for 16 years. "And they're taking more and more chances."

HIGHWAY A PARKING LOT

Sahid Perez, 22, who lives near Backyards, leaves to visit family in Florida every winter.

He hates the crowds that flock here for the surf — even though that's exactly why he moved to the North Shore three years ago from Venezuela.

"I don't like it," he said, waxing a new 5-feet-8 twinfin at Sunset Beach, "but you gotta deal with it."

He deals with it because, like so many other North Shore residents, he loves it here. And he'll put up with just about anything.

"It's just gorgeous here," he said. "And the waves are insane."

The Williams can't envision leaving Pupukea either, despite the headaches that inevitably come with urban growth.

Ross Williams still hits the surf every day — when he's not watching 13-month-old daughter, Sebastian — and looks forward to seeing his buddies every winter.

Sure, what takes five minutes by car in June can take up to 45 minutes in December.

And, yes, on the weekends, the highway turns into a parking lot from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

And while the North Shore in winter can get overwhelming, with everyone in the surf industry in town for contests, Williams can't really complain.

"It's a whirlwind," he said, staring at the waves at 'Ehukai. "But it's only these three months out of the year when it's really bad."

By the numbers

7.4

Million visitors to Hawai'i expected this year — a record

51

Percent of O'ahu overnight tourists who visit the North Shore while on vacation

2.4

Million visitors who will visit the North Shore this year

18,000

Estimated resident North Shore population

23,000

Estimated residents and visitors on the North Shore on any given day

4

Number of police patrol officers assigned to the area

5

Number of full-time lifeguard towers from Kualoa Beach Park to Ka'ena Point

Sources: state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; Hawai'i Tourism Authority; North Shore Chamber of Commerce; Honolulu Ocean Safety Department

As winter's big waves and visitor hordes roll in, life is bittersweet for residents

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.