The 10 women competing in the Jaws Challenge put their lives on the line, literally, in those two-and-a-half hours of surfing. Justine Dupont dislocated her shoulder, Keala Kennelly, who won, said she was seeing stars.

“Those were probably the most challenging conditions I’ve surfed here,” Kennelly said in an interview with the WSL. Referring to the fact that she won without completing a wave, she said: “I didn’t know how they were going to score that because I didn’t finish a wave, I did the best I could. I’m glad they saw the commitment and they paid it forward.”

Mexican Isabelle Leonhardt made history by becoming the first Mexican woman to compete in a World Tour big wave tournament, but she failed to ride any waves.

Before his series began, his compatriot, broadcaster Kalle Carranza, said that Leonhardt had told him that he felt closer to God in those waves.

In the men's first and only series, things got serious: Billy Kemper got into a tube that held three trucks, Alex Botelho had a terrible crash, Russell Bierke  He completed a giant shoulder and halfway through his set Twiggy Baker took on one of the most incredible waves ever surfed at the spot. He bent like it was Backdoor but it was 50 feet long. The South African almost came out of the tube, he came out spit out but bodysurfing and with the board on the other side.

With this carnage, knowing that the rescue team had lost two bikes and had some problems working properly, and having contacted the surfers, who told him they preferred to continue the next day, Commissioner Mike Parsons decided to stop the tournament and let it continue.

Basque Natxo González, who was already wearing his competition rashguard, later posted on his Instagram: “Today was a day of learning at sea. The situation was too much for me, not only because of the height, but also because of the wind. We were all scared, until things got worse and they had to cancel the event.” González added that the highlight of the day was when Twiggy surfed her bomb.

Then a tow in session began in which Kai Lenny gave a show of tubes and maneuvers.

 

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Lucas Chumbo joined the tow in after taking a hit after rowing one.

Albee Layer, meanwhile, went out for a paddle and got a barrel and then landed a bomb that he didn’t complete. The local was the most vocal about the tournament not stopping: “I definitely wanted to surf. I was really excited and don’t get me wrong, I was really scared, but whatever, that’s exactly what we’re supposed to do, right?” Layer told Stab.

Billy Kemper expressed the same sentiment in the live broadcast.

Later, in a survey conducted by Stab, the vast majority of competitors expressed that the WSL's decision was the right one.