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Worth the Wait: Big-Wave Crew Scores Todos Santos After Contest Leaves Town

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  • Worth the Wait: Big-Wave Crew Scores Todos Santos After Contest Leaves Town

All eyes were on Todos Santos last weekend for the Thrillers at Killers contest, a specialty big-wave contest in Mexico where some of the most intrepid chargers in the world battled it out in 30-foot monstrosities. But a lucky few scored a nearly empty lineup at the same famed big-wave joint just a few days later. 

The swell, which arrived on the Tuesday after the contest, read bigger on the buoys (and with a shorter , more west period) compared to the contest swell. I was looking at the forecast and was a bit skeptical because there was some south wind and bad weather on the charts. The day before the swell, Jojo Roper called and invited me to go shoot. Apparently there was to be a window with good conditions in the morning. 

Jojo and I were joined by Greg Long, Jamie Mitchell, Bianca Valenti, Paige Alms and Skylar Lickle, all who had just participated in the contest. The idea was to leave early with jet skis, but at 7 p.m. we got a call that the harbor was closing, and no skis were going to be allowed. So, Jojo, Jamie, and I decided to leave by Pangas before the sun rose. The conditions were better than I thought–the wind was light and the sun even came out. It was a great session without a crowd, something you don’t get too often these days.

Photos, intro and caption by Frederico Pompermayer.

We started the day with glassy conditions and some bombs coming though.

Fred Pompermayer

After a couple good ones, Jamie Mitchell finds himself in a critical situation.

Fred Pompermayer

Pleasant surprise at dawn with good conditions.

Fred Pompermayer

Jamie Mitchell and Jojo Roper surveying an empty Todos at sunrise.

Fred Pompermayer

“Wish I made that so bad…” said Wilem Banks of the first wave of the session.

Fred Pompermayer

Don’t make your session short. When surfing big waves, you need to make sure you have an extra board on hand! Wilem Banks, making a necessary equipment change.

Fred Pompermayer

The harbor shut down and luckily Greg Long was there to deal with the problem and we were able to get out there with the skis mid-day. It was probably not as big as the morning, but surfers like Pierrot Calet of France (pictured here) still scored some meaty ones.

Fred Pompermayer

With the buoys at 17.5F at 16s, Jojo Roper doesn’t miss an opportunity to send it at Todos.

Fred Pompermayer

This swell was so West it was coming from the South like we’ve never seen before, pushing towards the rocks” – Jojo Roper

Fred Pompermayer

With the tide dropping fast and the sets breaking farther away, the crew found themselves caught inside on some bigger ones that snuck through.

Fred Pompermayer

Wilem Banks, navigating a takeoff on his second board of the day.

Fred Pompermayer

With the harbor shutdown and the jet skis held captive, this crew was transported back to the ‘good ‘ol days.’

Fred Pompermayer