Waimea Bay, on the northern coast of Oahu, means 'big waves' to practically every surder in ther world, from New Zealand to California. For there, especially when the storms have built up huge sets far out at sea, the surfer can face his ultimate challenge. The steepness of the wall at Waimea accounts for the "fast drop", an almost verticall fall that surfers must master if they are to surf there.