Surf is certainly up in Hawaii, where 64 of the world's top male surfers are competing off the north coast of Ohau Island.
The Rip Curl Cup is taking place off Sunset Beach, and in the opening week competitors battled big surf, often flying off waves 3m to 5m high.
New Zealand's
number one surfer, Maz Quinn, has reached the second round of the event, which offers $US100,000 in prize money.
Quinn, who has been New Zealand Surfer of the Year three times, is rated 44th in the series and needs to excel at this event to have any chance of qualifying for the elite world championship tour.
The Rip Curl Cup is the last world qualifying series event for the Association of Surfing Professionals and will end on December 7 at the world-famous Pipeline.
Further down the coast of Oahu, in Haliewa, former longboard world champion Bonga Perkins proved two weeks ago that locals such as him have the upper hand in their home waters.
Haliewa served up the best conditions right on time for the Hawaiian Pro competition, with waves of 1m to 2.5m and stiff offshore winds.
It is the world's premier big wave longboarding event, viewed by competitors as the proving ground for future world champions because of the big waves and testing conditions.
"I got that last wave and paid it off big," said Perkins. "I would have to say my last wave was the best."
