It's always nice to hear an Australian accent in the lineup at Jaws. And if that Australian is riding a windsurfer, then it can only be Jason Polakow and his crew.
Taking a sail into one of the world's most dangerous big wave surfing arenas is not for the faint of heart. You really need to trust your skills and leave fear on the back of the truck.
January 4th was a special day for Jason Polakow. One month before sailing the giants of Nazaré, the Australian daredevil enjoyed an unforgettable session at Jaws/Peahi, alongside Robby Swift and Morgan Noireaux.
But Polakow also tasted the power of the Hawaiian wave. On a wave, he went over the falls backwards. Then, he got caught inside in the tricky bowl.
"In the last wave of the day, I was coming down the face, I thought I could get over the bump and set the rail, but I was going too fast, the rail looped out of the turn, and I went over the falls," explained Polakow.
"It was good and bad. It is never good to wipe out at Jaws, but at the end of the day, it does give you a bit of confidence knowing you can have wipeouts of that magnitude and still be okay."
"Good times. Typical Jaws. You come down here, you don't know what you're going to get, and most of the times it's just like that - really fluky and tough to get waves. But if you persist and you get the right gear, you can get good rides," concluded the Australian windsurfer.