Duotone Mag 2024

Height of wave: 22.1m Spot: Pe’ahi (Jaws) Maui Patri McLaughlin ”The feeling you get riding a wave that big is incredible. Everything else in life melts away. There is no room in your mind to think about anything else. It’s just pure focus and pure adrenaline. It’s also terrifying. I’ve gotten more comfortable over the years, but it’s still pretty scary. I love that fear feeling. I love the intensity. I’ve worked my way up for years, kiting bigger and bigger waves. I used to get scared in waves that were barely overhead. Now, it takes a little more size to scare me. I trust my ability and training. I also try really hard not to fall. When it’s really big something lights up inside me. Even after all these years, it still excites me. The most important part of preparation for me is the mental aspect. It’s so important to be mentally ready to deal with the stressful situation you’re about to go into. You can’t panic, and you have to know that you’re able to do it. That mental preparation comes with a lifetime spent on the ocean. I would love to catch an even bigger wave, but I don’t know if a bigger wave will happen on Maui. I’ve been kiting jaws since 2011, and this was the biggest swell I’ve seen out there. I think Nazaré has some untapped kiting potential so kiting a bigger wave is most likely to happen there.” Patri McLaughlin has officially secured his place in the GuinnessWorld Records. Last year, on January 22, 2023, the Duotone team rider took his kite out in Pe’ahi (Jaws) Maui, riding amassive wavemeasured at 72 feet and four inches (22.1 meters). Guinness has confirmed that Patri McLaughlin broke theWorld Record for the largest wave ever kitesurfed. We were so enthusiastic about this wave and this photo that we featured it on the cover of our magazine last year – nowwe are proud to show it again. Photo  Daniel Sullivan D U O T O N E D U O T O N E 128 129 W H Y H E I G H T M A T T E R S