It makes no sense that Silverbacks — Panama’s most intimidating wave — works on a short period wind swell. 8 feet at 10 seconds is simply not a recipe for a deep water slab. Yet somehow this mutant shifting wedge exists, humbling every surfer that flies in to tackle it. For years now the best in the world have been leaving Silverbacks empty-handed and dejected, having missed (or gotten smoked by) the best wave of the swell.
Not Luke Davis. At least not this time.
Davis has chased Silverbacks on a number of big swells, so this trip he came prepared with the right boards and approach to finally hunt down a proper peak. Silverbacks is short but intense. It’s a heart pounding thrill ride with a tiny takeoff. But on this swell Davis rode a longer board, which allowed him to chip in out the back, before the wave went inside out. The technique worked to perfection, as you’ll see in the clip above. Finally, Davis laid the blueprint for tackling a Silverback gorilla.
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