Surfers caught inside monster wave while seeking thrills in Hawaii

Top big-wave surfers sought to conquer the massive waves that were crushing the beaches of Hawaii this week.

Photographer and filmmaker Giora Koren, of Maui, shot dramatic footage of these extreme-sport athletes taking on waves dozens of feet high at Peʻahi, a popular island surfing spot also known as Jaws.

“It became a really competitive sport, big-wave surfing. And people are challenging themselves to catch the biggest wave possible, Koren said in an interview with Yahoo News.

One of his videos shows a gathering of surfers dive underwater to avoid getting crushed by a colossal wave.

That clip was filmed during what’s known as a cleanup set: a particularly large set of waves that break farther outside than usual and “clean up the surfers caught inside.

Peʻahi is world-famous within the surfing community for some of the most intimidating  and exhilarating  waves on the planet.

“Jaws is a very, very fast wave. Nothing is there to stop it until it hits the reef shelves and breaks, Koren said. “It comes at full speed, as opposed to other spots, where they gradually slow down.

Koren says there has been a big-wave surfing revolution in recent years.

Six years ago, he said, there would have only been about 20 surfers trying to catch a wave at Jaws. Now, there are nearly 100.

Some of the world’s best surfers, including Kai Lenny, were in town this week for the Peʻahi Challenge, which is organized to coincide with forecasts for huge waves.

Koren shot footage of Lenny, who was born and raised on Maui, inside an enormous barrel.

Originally from Israel, Koren has lived in Hawaii for 15 years.

The World Surf League Big Wave Tour posted his cleanup set video on its YouTube page, where it attracted nearly 60,000 views.