Koa Rothman has the best cure for a Thanksgiving hangover. Instead of languishing in bed, complaining of a headache, he dragged himself and his friends to the beach for an unbelievable surf session. And it was the right time for it, too, as the waves were absolutely perfect. With the sun shining down on them, Koa Rothman and his surfing buddies took full advantage of the massive swells hitting Oahu. 

The humongous swells washed the Northern shore of Oahu squeaky clean during the Thanksgiving weekend. Interestingly, Koa Rothman, Mark Healey, Nathan Florence, and Eli Olson were waiting for such treacherous conditions to begin their hair-raising exploits. Here’s what happened!

Surfing aces conquer massive waves at Oahu

Hawaii has always been the stomping grounds for surfers. These athletes have stamped their mark on the island’s famous breaks, but this Thanksgiving weekend was particularly memorable.

Koa Rothman brought his surfing buddies to the perfect location on jetskis to catch one of the biggest waves of their career. The 2015 Big Wave Champion documented their bone-chilling ride on Instagram with the caption, “POV clip from yesterdays session, Definitely a vision I’ll never forget! Had such a good time surfing with @eli_olson @nathan_florence yesterday here on Oahu!”

These surfing aces had both the courage and the knowledge essential for navigating the dangerous and powerful waves. 

The surf breaks at the edges of the outer reefs made the ride more sketchy. However, all four of these surfing icons were aware and well-prepared for the challenge.

Mark Healey commemorated the experience, writing, “I didn’t really think it was going to be huge – maybe 15 or 18 feet. But it just hit on the buoys last night like a ton of bricks. Just…giant”. Contrary to his expectations, the waves rose to the record-breaking heights of 40 feet. However, it was nothing for Nathan Florence, who ultimately stole the show with his fearless and jaw-dropping maneuvers. 

Nathan Florence dazzles in the surfing session

A video posted on Nathan Florence’s Instagram account shows him riding a huge wall of blue. Surprisingly, as it neared the shore, the peak of the wall broke into a barrel.

Florence was waiting for this moment and descended into the jaws of the wave with precision. Moreover, he emerged out of the barrel only moments later unscathed. 

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Florence immortalized the ride with the Instagram caption, “No exit plan but some awesome vision! Unfortunately snapped my new 9’4 and lost gopro always happy to get more training in on my backhand in big surf and dodge clean up sets with my friends!”. He was also surprised at seeing the hordes of surfing enthusiasts challenge these waves at Waimea Bay. 

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