Good morning, Cloudbreak! Mark Healey and Ian Walsh, no need for coffee. Photo: Scott Winer

Namotu lifeguard Shaun Woolnough with a classic hand-drag butt-stall pigdog in a perfect South Pacific cavern. Photo: Scott Winer

Cloudbreak at size requires the ability to stay flexible adjust your line according to the way the wave hits the reef. Nick Vasicek. Photo: Scott Winer

Dane Gudauskas, the shaggiest of the Gudang brothers, is paddling a big board -- and carrying a big smile. Photo: Scott Winer

Dane's stance is classic; elbows bent, knees crouched, aiming for the sunlight. Going Mach 10. And not missing home one bit. Photo: Scott Winer

Garrett MacNamara was the only guy to bring a GoPro-mounted SUP to maxing Tavarua. Here's an unfortunate ending to a beautiful wave. Photo: Scott Winer

The North Shore comes to the South Pacific: Reef McIntosh checks his equipment while Dave Wassel takes a breather between bombs. Photo: Scott Winer

Accordong to Sean Collins, Tuesday saw "perfect conditions. Solid 10- to 12-foot -- with occasional 15-foot-plus -- swell. A little morning sickness and late afternoon bump, but 9am-1pm was epic." This is on the "epic" scale. Photo: Scott Winer

After nabbing the bomb of the swell at Teahupoo last week, Alex Gray came home for a couple days and then bolted straight back to the South Pacific to score giant Tavarua. Photo: Scott Winer

Mark Healey, cowboy, is no stranger to Cloudbreak's ups and downs. He knows just how to buck right through 'em. Photo: Scott Winer

This is an optimistic drop -- one that ended badly for Jeff Rowley. Here is his glory moment. Photo: Scott Winer

Fergal Smith is another charger whose scored Teahupoo recently and then made his way here for another shot at tropical left bombs. And he's smiling. Photo: Scott Winer

This guy isn't quite as smiling. Photo: Scott Winer

Garrett MacNamara on a more traditional, very serious 10'6" gun, driving through a very serious shack. Photo: Scott Winer

Plenty of room overhead on this one for Ryan Hipwood. Photo: Scott Winer

North Shore lifeguard Dave Wassel on a large, glassy, Teahupoo-esque bomb. Photo: Scott Winer

All-star cast indeed. Dave Wassel, Dane Gudauskas, Alex Gray and Kelly Slater compare war stories. Photo: Scott Winer

Kelly didn't make it out till after noon, but still nabbed a few (slightly windier) bombs. He also rode a 5'11" while everyone else was on boards ranging from 6'8"-10'6". Photo: Scott Winer

Here's to hoping there's not another one behind this one. Photo: Scott Winer

Mark Healey muscles his gun through a giant frothy one and then shows off his best 'O' face. Photo: Scott Winer

Kelly: "Hey, Healey, your board is twice as big as my board. What's up with that?" Scott Winer

Bruce Irons: manly line on a manly wave. Scott Winer

Garrett's 10'6" in a compromising situation. For those interested, stop this sequence on frame 7 -- check the left of the frame, you'll see Dave Wassel about to enjoy a two-wave hold-down. Scott Winer