Models hint at Best Bet Saturday the 17th with 6-10′ NNW on the declining HUGE NW. SNN

• Next Call: Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 13, at 7:45 AM HST
• Next Generation Continues to Raise the Bar on the North Shore
• Potential for Huge Surf as Long-Range Forecast Shows Promise

Pictured: The Hurley Pro Sunset Beach is OFF for the day, but swell on the horizon could bring conditions reminiscent of this in the window. Credit: © WSL / Heff

“It’s Day 1 at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, and we’re calling the event off for the day,” said Travis Logie, WSL Senior Manager, Tours and Competition. “There’s really small and inconsistent surf today. The next couple of days it should bump up a little bit, and then we have a XXL massive swell coming in on Thursday and Friday, but maybe with some bad winds, but we’ll keep an eye on it. On either side of that, we’ve got some great days lined up, too.”

Fresh off the season opener at Pipeline, the world’s best surfers will face a second challenging wave with the long, unruly rights of Sunset Beach. Careers have been made and broken at Sunset, along with innumerable boards and leashes, as long-period Pacific swells hit the reef and unload their power.

Next Generation Continues to Raise the Bar on the North Shore

Monumental performances at the Lexus Pipe Pro saw Molly Picklum (AUS) and Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) join event winner and current World No. 1 Caitlin Simmers (USA) in making a massive statement as they set a new precedent for women’s surfing. The reappearance of the North Shore on the women’s CT calendar across the past three seasons has seen the next generation step up year after year, most notably with all five 2022 rookies placing in Quarterfinals or better in the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach that season, and topped by Picklum’s first CT event win at Sunset Beach in 2023. It will be exciting to see what unfolds as the new Tour leaders take on the veterans within the power of Sunset.

After early losses at Pipe, the 2024 men’s rookie class is eager to make a statement at Stop No. 2. Pound-for-pound bigger and more powerful than any rookie class in recent history, these new faces will be hoping to tap into the magic of the 2022 women’s rookie class. Americans Cole Houshmand (USA), Crosby Colapinto (USA), and Kade Matson (USA), along with Australian Jacob Willcox (AUS) and Maui’s Eli Hanneman (HAW), have already established themselves in heavy waves across their careers. This week we find out if they can step up when it counts.

One surfer who has well and truly taken up the mantle for the next generation is Barron Mamiya (HAW). The North Shore local enters Sunset Beach wearing the yellow leader’s jersey as a former event winner. Mamiya will face 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) in the Opening Round at a break that Slater has notoriously found difficult. The draw is filled with perennial event threats however, including three-time World Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA), two-time World Champion John John Florence (HAW), Jack Robinson (AUS), and Jordy Smith (RSA).

Adding to the challenge of the break itself, the official Surfline forecast is showing the possibility of the event running in large swell. A massive NW swell is moving toward Oahu and will bring maxed-out, 30’-45’ foot faces in exposed areas. But, as the swell decreases along with easing winds, all-time Sunset Beach conditions could be on the horizon later in the window with 10’-15’ foot faces and favorable winds backed by 8’-10’ foot faces.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Opening Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Connor O’Leary (JPN), Imaikalani deVault (HAW), Kade Matson (USA)
HEAT 2: Jack Robinson (AUS), Crosby Colapinto (USA), Deivid Silva (BRA)
HEAT 3: Barron Mamiya (HAW), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Kelly Slater (USA)
HEAT 4: John John Florence (HAW), Jake Marshall (USA), Keanu Asing (HAW)
HEAT 5: Griffin Colapinto (USA), Seth Moniz (HAW), Brodi Sale (HAW)
HEAT 6: Ethan Ewing (AUS), Rio Waida (INA), Kai Lenny (HAW)
HEAT 7: Yago Dora (BRA), Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Frederico Morais (POR)
HEAT 8: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Callum Robson (AUS), Cole Houshmand (USA)
HEAT 9: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Matthew McGillivray (RSA), Eli Hanneman (HAW)
HEAT 10: Ian Gentil (HAW), Italo Ferreira (BRA), Jacob Willcox (AUS)
HEAT 11: Jordy Smith (RSA), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Samuel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 12: Ryan Callinan (AUS), Liam O’Brien (AUS), Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)