Billy Kemper: he score a Perfect 10 at Jaws | Photo: Heff/WSL

Billy Kemper and Paige Alms have conquered the 2016 Peahi Challenge, in Jaws, Maui. The Hawaiian duo excelled in 30-foot plus waves at the infamous surf break.

The men's final had six surfers battling for the top spot. On his first best wave, Kemper scored a Perfect 10 for a flawless tube ride. His second attempt was no less incredible, and another barrel earned him a 9.07.

With a near-perfect score of 29.07 points, his opponents were left chasing the best possible spot on the leaderboard. Billy Kemper jumped from 9th to first in the 2016/2017 Big Wave Tour rankings.

"I've trained so hard for the last eight weeks. I feel 100percent this year, and I didn't last year. I'm over the moon, and I just surfed with a few of my heroes and pioneers of this sport - Greg and Twiggy," explained Kemper.

I didn't know I was winning, so I just went for it on that last wave. This is what I live for right here. I've never felt this good in my life, and I came here to win again and I did. I grew up here - this is my back yard and my blood, sweat, and tears."

Paige Alms: pushing the limits at Jaws | Photo: Hallman/WSL

On the women's competition, Paige Alms used her local knowledge to smash her opponents in the final - Justine Dupont and Felicity Palmateer. The Hawaiian found the optimal position in the lineup and got the best waves of the 60-minute heat.

"I still feel like that was a dream. I can't quite believe it. What a blessing to be out there with just a couple of girls, that was very special. The support feels so good and it's so cool to have all my friends here and do this at home," added Alms.

Emily Erickson, Keala Kennelly and Laura Enever were also supposed to compete in the final, but they all suffered injuries in Round 1 and were forced to exit the event prematurely.

"This has been a dream to have an event for the women here. To have an empty lineup is a real blessing, win or lose. A few of the girls got hurt, and I'm bummed that they weren't out there with us, but they'll be back for more. I hope we get more opportunities," concluded the first ever female big wave surfing champion.

2016 Peahi Challenge | Finals

Men
1. Billy Kemper (HAW) 29.07
2. Greg Long (USA) 26.69
3. Grant Baker (ZAF) 22.47
4. Nic Lamb (USA) 18.89
5. Pedro Calado (BRA) 18.04
6. Will Skudin (USA) 14.41

Women
1. Paige Alms (HAW) 21.66
2. Justine Dupont (FRA) 10.77
3. Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 1.63

Top Stories

On March 7, 2024, Cloudbreak delivered one of the most epic swells in Fiji's big wave surfing history.

Is there any correlation between warmer or colder ocean waters and bigger waves? What is the influence of temperature on wave height?

It's one of the world's most out-of-the-radar big waves and certainly one of the most exciting surf breaks in Latin America and the South Pacific. Bienvenidos a El Buey.

Surfing is all about working the unbroken wave face and maximizing riding time. But how can you optimize and balance these two goals that cancel each other out?