The world's most epic surf competition is happening right now — here are the massive wipe-outs

The break, off Maui, Hawaii, is called Jaws, which tells you all you need to know about the conditions at the World Surf League’s inaugural Pe’ahi Challenge.

Jaws is the most world’s largest and notorious big-wave break – you may remember it from the James Bond film Die Another Day– and 24 surfers converged on it over the weekend for the contest. It’s absolutely pumping at 50-60 feet (15-18 metres) and the wipeouts are both spectacular and terrifying.

Brazilian Carlos Burle suffered one of the worst in the first heat, falling six metres down the front face of the curl, but after disappearing under tonnes of water for what seemed like way too long – surfers all wear buoyancy vests – the big wave surfer made it through relatively unscathed to qualify for the semis.

Hold your breath and watch what happened.

The final is now on with six surfers involved – Greg Long, Billy Kemper, Gabriel Villaran, Albee Layer, Ian Walsh and Shane Dorian. Unsurprisingly, four are from Hawaii.

You can watch it live here.

And here’s an example of how Billy Kemper got there:

🔥🔥🔥 @billy_kemper#PeahiChallenge LIVE: https://t.co/1dfDkjrk8yhttps://t.co/OJEGylBSeT

— World Surf League (@wsl) December 6, 2015

This Vine is an amazing board’s-eye-view of what it’s like taking off down the massive face of Jaws.

And the danger faced isn’t just the surfers – the patrol team face their own hazards as this World Surf League clip shows.

Thankfully both the jetski driver and the towed surfer, Kai Lenny (the guy on the board vision clip above), came out of it okay.

Shane Dorian’s ride shows just how on the edge everyone competing is.

Shaun Walsh pulled it off, just, too.

Airborne. @shaunwalsh20#PeahiChallenge LIVE: https://t.co/1dfDkjrk8yhttps://t.co/iOhvXohHxN

— World Surf League (@wsl) December 6, 2015

 And it doesn’t take much for it to go horribly wrong.

.@IanWalsh4 getting clipped on a massive wave #PeahiChallengehttps://t.co/1dfDkjrk8yhttps://t.co/JP1CwcR5HI

— World Surf League (@wsl) December 6, 2015

 But get it right and it’s epic poetry in motion.

Just warming up... @Kai_Lenny#PeahiChallengehttps://t.co/1dfDkjrk8yhttps://t.co/TmhLl70DcS

— World Surf League (@wsl) December 6, 2015

You’ll find more at the World Surf League home page, but here’s a great compilation showing just how crazy-brave everyone involved at the Pe’ahi challenge is:

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