Echo of the waves

"Only kings were able to surf here before," David said. "For us, surfing is sacred, it's the culture — like dancing, like canoe paddling, like singing, like making food for everybody."

David said the community had worked to ensure having one of the world's most powerful and alluring waves on their doorsteps fully benefited the village.

Locals now provide surf camps, camera operators, taxi boats, and water safety patrols when top surfers come for big swells.