The revolution may not be televised, but it will be discussed at length on Facebook, splattered across the pages of surf magazines around the globe and prominently featured on websites like the one you are now reading. Big-wave paddle surfing has progressed more in the last five years than in all of history. The once long list of waves formerly considered off limits to paddle surfing is shrinking faster than you can say, “Throw me the tow rope.” With the exception of a few select slabs not physically paddleable (yet), almost every major big-wave spot in the world has been ridden with paddle power alone. If you needed more proof of this, look no further than the Jan. 4 session at Jaws.
The waves were every bit of 25 feet-plus with … Pictures and more