With a building El Niño weather condition, surfers throughout the Hawaiian Islands have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of extra-large surf -- and today the Pacific Ocean delivered the biggest waves seen there in years.  At famous breaks like Waimea Bay on Oahu and Jaws in Maui, the world's top big wave riders challenged the mammoth swell, spawned by an intense low pressure system which formed northwest of the Islands over the weekend.  

At Waimea Bay, thousands of spectators jammed traffic on Kamehameha Highway as locals and tourists alike stopped to see surfers paddling in to towering 30 to 40 foot breakers on a gray and ominous day.  Meanwhile, big wave riders and onlookers in Maui were treated to a beautiful sunny day with even larger surf, well suited to tow-in surfing using jet-powered watercraft in waves reaching the 50-foot mark.
[12/08/09] Stirling Howland: yeah we could... I think it will be out tomorrow