The National Geographic Magazine

Just now, ma'am gave us the National Geographic magazine.There are many stories and interesting facts in it.The story of the cover page is National Geographic:Maui's Monster Waves Jaws.There are still many other stories in it,such as:America's Wilderness and the Cossacks.They are also quite good,but the story on the cover page is the one I like the most.I like this story because it is very interesting.I gained a lot of knowledge about "monster waves".Now,I am going to tell you about it.

Imagine skiing down the front of a five-storey building.That's Laird Hamilton's idea of fun,plunging some 50 vertical feet on a wave face that only a handful of surfers dare ride.The strength of such waves has earned this Hawaiian surfing spot its Jaws.Those who know it best fear it most.Says Hamilton:"Some say 'no fear'.I say 'bull'.I absolutely fear it.That's why I surf it."When you fly down the face of one of these waves,it's not a wave anymore,it's a mountain.This mountain can move at 25 miles an hour and give a windsurfer the ride of his life,or leave him fighting for it.On a big-wave day,Jaws kicks up about 12 times a year.

Local surfers also call Jaws by its native name,Peahi,Hawaiian for"beckon".And this is the most interesting part.-Jaws generates a breaking wave only when ocean swells reach a certain size.From the underwater ridge,the remnant of an old lava flow,juts straight out to sea.A little over half a mile from shore the reef drops abruptly away into the sea.An average swell of 10 to 12 feet passes over the nub of the reef without incident.But larger swells,storm spawned,suddenly mound upward as they striked the reef,a process called shoaling.

Jaws have a second wave-rearing trick.The swells on either side of the reef,moving in deeper water,bend inward,focusing much of their energy on the center of the wave crest.This refraction of wave energy is like a magnifying glass gathering light into a hot,focused beam.In essence, the reef squeezes the wave inward and upward.Surfers call it a peaking wave.

To tow each other into the big waves at Jaws,surfers use Wave Runners.To keep from getting knocked off their boards,they use windsurfers' foot straps.Purists howl,claiming that the only right way to surf is to paddle into a wave and stay on your board using just your own strength.

Overall,I like this story and the National Geographic magazine.I would like to thank ma'am for lending this magazine to me,and my classmates.