On The Rise

— -- After a long slog through the doldrums, the North Shore has finally sprung to life. Yesterday a solid northwest swell filled in, and while it was by no means perfect, it definitely was well received. The Reef Hawaiian Pro fired through a full day of competition. "It's kind of tricky out there, but it's nice to get this done in some surf," said World Tour hopeful Tanner Gudauskas, who snuck through his Round of 32 heat. "I need a good result here in Hawaii, and it's cool to be in a position where it's all up to your surfing." Besides Tanner, notables of the day included Parko (who's very much surfing like a new man), as well as locals like Joel Centio, Roy Powers and Sebastien Zietz. As I type this we're working our way into the Quarterfinals, so stay tuned. Also worthy of note, all the sand at Pipe and Off The Wall is finally washing through, which could set up an interesting scenario when a bigger and better swell fills in on Wednesday. Some are claiming this upcoming swell could be just what Maui needs to kick start Jaws, others are dusting off their 10-foot guns hoping for a big paddle day at Waimea or Phantoms. All told, it's nice to have some surf finally. I'll keep you posted with the latest and greatest from Haleiwa. The final is set to go off around 3:00 (Hawaiian time).