The power and allure of the ocean: How surfers eyed the tsunami alerts and wondered

 

No sooner had the tsunami watch been issued than the text messages began coming in.

Friends and family wanted to know if I was safe. Would the waves reach me? Should I drive, or even run, to higher ground?

As a lifelong surfer who currently lives in Southern California, I’m familiar and conversant with hundreds of different types of waves. I’ve traveled to dozens of countries in search of waves.