The Fastest Wave in the World

The proposed expansion to the small boat harbor at Ma’alaea would put the break wall right into the lineup of the wave that you see in this photo. Photo: Jeff Hornbaker

The State of Hawai’i small boat harbor at Ma’alaea is just that: small. It’s too small to handle all the boats that would like to use it. For over thirty years, there have been plans for expansion, but they have not been without controversy.

One of the sticky points is that the harbor lies next to one of Hawai’i’s premier summertime surf spots. Ma’alaea is nestled in the corner on the right flank of the south-facing bay, like a catcher’s mitt for the summer swells. The left curve of the bay sweeps toward Kihei. Heading right out from the harbor, the bay ends at McGregor Point. From there, the coast continues swinging west around the Pali toward Olowalu and eventually Lahaina.

Actually, there are several breaks directly in front of the harbor break wall, but the spot that would be most affected by the proposed expansion is called Freight Trains. This break has the reputation among the top surfers as being the fastest wave in the world. It works best only on rare direct south or south-easterly direction swells and can go years without breaking big, but when it works Ma’alaea Freight Trains is the crown jewel of Hawai’i’s summer breaks. None is more challenging, nor more spectacular.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been at the forefront on this and all other coastline projects in the state. The Corps’ past track record has been, in a generous view, somewhat spotty. Surfers were not happy when Magic ‘Tragic’ Island was constructed in the mid-1960s directly over an excellent and very consistent surf spot called Garbage Hole, along with several other popular breaks in the immediate area. Not long after, the Corps took out another great wave at the famous Maile Cloudbreak by building a drainage canal.

In the 1980s, the Ma’alaea Harbor expansion project was granted federal funding and the State of Hawai’i pushed to initiate construction in a required time period so as not to risk losing the government grant money. The State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Harbors Division, along with representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, set up a public meeting at Kihei School.

My brother Victor locked into a speed trim at freight trains, hoping his board will be fast enough to make it out the other end. Photo: Jeff Hornbaker

This is standard procedure to allow parties affected by any public project to ask questions and air grievances. Those in favor of the expansion were, of course, the boat owners who were crammed into the small harbor. Many operated boats for tourist fishing, diving, or sightseeing charters. These businesses were becoming very popular in the 1980s, with the rapid growth the Valley Isle of Maui was experiencing.

The most vocal, however, were the local fishermen for whom the harbor had originally been built. They were getting elbowed out of their harbor slips as the bigger- and better-financed tourist operations were granted slips. Opposing the expansion were the surfers and concerned property owners from the various condos and homes on the beach near the harbor.

The protocol is for anyone who wishes to speak to sign up on a roster and wait to be called. The DLNR and Army Corps representatives spoke first. They told of the rising need for more harbor space and showed some preliminary plans for how they proposed to address those needs. Their plans were to extend the existing front break wall toward Kihei, right over the entire Freight Trains surf spot.

Finished with their presentation, the government representatives explained how the rest of the meeting would work and began calling for those who had signed up. Several boat owners spoke about the lack of space and the long waiting list for those wanting a boat slip. Some condo owners asked the Harbors Division representative how the new harbor would affect their property; according to the proposed plan, boat slips would replace the beachfront. A surfer got up to state that the break wall would permanently erase one of the best surf spots on the island, but before he could finish, catcalls and loud heckling came from the back of the room.

A number of the local fisherman and boat people had been getting well-oiled before the meeting, drinking all afternoon and evening before the 8 p.m. meeting. They were very vocal about any opposition to what they wanted. I felt sad knowing they would be the last to benefit from a bigger harbor. The big-money tourist operations, without a doubt, would have first pick.

John Kelly from Save Our Surf had flown over that afternoon to attend the meeting. I had arrived just after the meeting began and had no time beforehand to socialize or see who was there. I was surprised, but elated, that the great champion of the surfers’ cause for the past twenty-five years was about to speak. He had been involved in the Ma’alaea project from its inception.

I knew John well from surfing, had gone to high school with his daughters, and had supported all his efforts toward the preservation of surfing areas around the state. As he took the podium, I was certain he would present a reasonable, historical perspective that would lay bare the foolishness of this latest harbor plan.

John began by saying that he had come over from O’ahu to be here, but sensing that he was opposed to the new harbor, the hecklers began shouting for him to go back. John looked to the DLNR and Corps people supposedly conducting the meeting to take charge and allow him to speak. But I could see from their smug attitude that this was just what they wanted. They didn’t want any opposition to their agenda. The noise level became so loud and angry that it seemed the situation was on the verge of erupting into something violent and physical. John Kelly had no choice but to sit back down. It was a sad moment.

Next to speak was probably the oldest person there that night. It was Woody Brown, an old friend of John Kelly. I knew Woody lived in Kahului and was sure they had come to the meeting together. Both Woody and John, along with George Downing, Wally Froiseth, Fran Heath, and others had been the pioneers who paved the way for riding big surf. Theirs was a colorful and wonderful history in the beginning of the modern era of surfing in Hawai’i.

Woody was well into his eightieth year and his seemingly frail appearance belied a quick wit and sharp mind. As he shuffled to the podium, the entire gathering quieted down in deference to his age. None of the boat owners, especially the drunk ones, knew who he was or which side he represented.

Woody took the stand and looked out over the crowd, the twinkle in his eyes obvious to all. As he began to speak in his soft voice and easy manner, the audience hushed further to hear what he was saying. He spoke of a time long before the present harbor, of spending time on the sandy beach with his Hawaiian wife, of fishing, of surfing the waves, and of enjoying the beautiful and idyllic spot. He spoke of other Hawaiian and local families who had also enjoyed it and the times they shared there together.

The attention in the room was rapt as Woody took all of us to a place and time of a natural Ma’alaea that none of us knew had existed. He paused and let the moment to which he had transported everyone sink into our hearts and minds.

Then he added, “I remember the first time the government came to Ma’alaea. I was there.”

Woody paused again and glanced toward the seated officials with a look I interpreted as, not so much disdain, but one of pity. The two government men seemed to wither under his calm and steady gaze, checking their shoelaces and fingernails.

Looking back over the silent group, he finished by saying, “The first thing they did was build a shithouse right over the freshwater spring.”

As he sat down, silence still pervaded throughout the crowd as the government men squirmed in their seats and even the loudmouths looked sheepishly at each other, their beers forgotten.

It’s now almost twenty years after that meeting. The Surfrider Foundation has become involved and is currently monitoring the State of Hawai’i’s ongoing plans for the harbor expansion. I’m happy to report that, as yet, the government has not built anything over the surf spot. The Ma’alaea Freight Trains has enjoyed several epic sessions in the past few seasons. The fastest wave in the world, for now at least, still lives.