The waves were pumping — big, bombing and beautiful.
For the “Thriller at Killers” surf contest off Todos Santos Island in Ensenada the forecast was a fun event for the world’s best big-wave riders. But when the surfers, a handful from Southern California, showed up for the one-day event on Feb. 7, the waves were twice as big as expected, upward of 30 feet to welcome the competitors.
“It was just epic. Everyone was so psyched,” said Encinitas surfer Katie McConnell, the reigning champ for the women’s division, who again clinched the win this year. “There’s always nerves before any contest, I knew it would be extra difficult because I had won last year, and it puts a target on your back.”
The event included 12 men and six women; among them were San Clemente’s Greg Long, a well-known fixture in the big-wave world, La Jolla standout Jojo Roper, and Newport Beach’s Spencer Pirdy.
McConnell is no stranger to this surf break, a demanding wave that can be “big, gnarly and consequential,” she said. “For me, it takes a lot of courage to really position myself for one of the legit, big bombs.”
She remembers being mesmerized by it on the screen as her dad watched reruns of the big-wave tour, not knowing at the time she would end up being one of the surfers to tackle the wave.
“I was passing by the living room and looked over his shoulder. I became transfixed,” she recalled. “It’s always been in the back of my mind. I never imagined I’d be surfing out there, let alone winning out there.”
There’s only a handful of surfers in the world who tackle building-size waves in the 30- to 40-foot range, a tight-knit group of skilled riders who travel the world to spots known for their big drops — and big wipeouts.
During the event, French big-wave surfer Justine Dupont suffered a back injury, an injury that will keep her out of the water for several months.
McConnell has also had her “gnarliest and most humbling” experiences there.
“I’ve missed waves, narrowly missed injury,” she said. “I feel like I’m finally starting to make peace with that wave, and I can’t wait to catch more. To invite that fear to step aside and feel confident enough to send it is so freeing.”
In her final heat, all of the stars aligned, she said, an extra pulse of swell making for the biggest waves of the event. She was especially impressed, she said, with the performance of Zoe Chait, a 19-year-old Maverick’s surfer from Half Moon Bay who took second place, for catching one of the biggest waves and pulling it off with style.
“It was just very much an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to catch the biggest waves of the event. I’m really proud of all the women who were there for that, it was not easy and we worked hard for it and we represented really well,” McConnell said.
But as the clock ticked down, McConnell had to make a decision: try and score whatever she could on any wave that came through, or wait for the bomb.
“It was just so big and beautiful out there, in my mind I put the competition aside and just focused on the wave and just surfing for the love of it,” she said. “It was either be patient and give it your all, or settle for less.”
Just as she decided to wait it out, a set showed up on the horizon.
“It was a technical drop, I got mowed down at the bottom, but it felt really good,” she said. “I didn’t know if I was going to win, but at the time, it didn’t matter, I was just psyched to get it.”
While she took the women’s win, repeating her 2024 victory, it was Grant “Twiggy” Baker who earned the men’s trophy. Roper made it to the semifinals.
Pirdy, a Wedge surfer from Newport Beach with a knack for big waves, was honored to be included in the event “with a bunch of my idols,” he said in an email. “I felt like I’d already won.”
Waves were bigger and better than anyone ever could have imagined, he said.
Baker opened up the event with a 10-point ride, a perfect heat score despite not surfing the wave for the past 10 years. Pirdy was in the second heat, describing how a wave came his way with about 20 minutes left on the clock. He swung his board around and immediately went vertical.
“I was somehow still on my feet as I raised a fist and then a stream of whitewater cascaded over me for a second,” he said. After emerging, I heard cheers as I straightened out and pointed the board to the channel.”
With 20 seconds left, a massive wave showed, and he paddled “like a maniac,” he said, to get past it, watching as Long popped to his feet to ride one of the biggest of the day to earn a spot into the finals, where he would come in third place.
“What was really encapsulated in the event was the spirit of Todos Santos,” Pirdy said. “The raw beauty and ferocity of the waves that loom and break at this offshore wonder, coupled with a sweet sense of natural awe that this region and the island offer. It was truly a dream come true.”