Magnificent surfing wipeouts from big wave competition (video)

Last month, more than two dozen exceptional surfers gathered in Waimea Bay, Hawaii for the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. The winner turned out to be a 27-year-old lifeguard, Luke Shepardson, who was on-duty at the time. (He secured permission from his supervisor to participate.) With waves hitting more than 30 feet high, a multitude of magnificent wipeouts were expected. See below:

illustrative image: Geartooth Productions (Shutterstock)