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January 1998. The waves at Waimea Bay towered 40 feet in a seemingly endless round of pounding surf. ‘Condition Black’ was
On the air: "Condition Black," 7 p.m. Sunday on KHET/PBS
good news for surfers
Star-Bulletin staff
Surfers from all over the world had gathered to compete in the Eddie Aikau Memorial big-wave surfing competition, but by midmorning the U.S. Coast Guard and Hawaii Civil Defense had issued a rare proclamation: "Condition Black," meaning no one goes into the water.
But a handful of surfers, including Ken Bradshaw, with the help of jet ski towing partners, defied the warning by heading out to sea. Their daredevil rides have resulted in the breathtaking core of the documentary "Condition Black," premiering at 7 p.m. Sunday on "Nature," produced for PBS by Thirteen/WNET New York.
"I think of it as the day 'The Perfect Storm' met 'Baywatch,'" said executive producer Fred Kaufman.
"Everyone's going to die that goes out there," one veteran surfer predicted.
But the challenge was irresistible for those continually in search of the thrill ride.
An IMAX film crew had been in Hawaii for an earlier event, and on Jan. 28 took off in a helicopter over the waves. The airborne cameras capture the heart-stopping action as a few athletes defied a storm.
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