Brave Surfers Can't Resist Call of California's Killer Waves
A local surf legend died, but others still dare to hit waves.
Dec. 5, 2007— -- As if the destruction and death wrought by the Northwest storms weren't enough, the huge winds from those storms have churned up killer waves on the California coast, which took the life of a local surfing legend in Monterey County Tuesday.
Surfer Peter Davi, 45, lost his board and died while attempting to swim ashore at the Monterey surf spot known as Ghost Trees. Friends of the surfer later found his body floating unconscious in the water.
Accuweather metereologist Eric Wilhelm explained, "The big waves off the coast of California are a result of a very strong storm system that went through the Northwest. The tremendous winds are the big cause of these big-time waves."
But given the rare combination of light winds, ample sun, 80 degree temperatures and 8- to 12-foot waves, today could be considered an "epic" day for surfers, and a few brave souls continue to hit the water, despite the Davi tragedy.
Michael Luhrsen has been surfing for 35 years and is one of the few who dares to go out.
"We haven't seen this for many, many years," Luhrsen said. "You just got to be ready. There's only a few guys that will go out."
The conditions remind this "big wave rider" of the unforgettable surf here in 1983 when the waves were "so big, you really couldn't paddle out. So what I did was take a boat out of the harbor, went around the arbor and got dropped off in the middle of the ocean. And that's what I strive for. It's adrenaline that you can't get on land," Luhrsen said.
For Luhrsen and other big wave riders, the adrenaline comes from a feeling of knowing that "it's life and death. … If you fall the wrong way or get held under the wrong way you will drown."
"When it comes to big waves, everyone is together because when you're out there, it's survival. And if you're in trouble, you'd want somebody to be there for you because there is no one out there to rescue you. Even the lifeguards won't go out."
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