Shepardson, 27, is a lifeguard with the City and County of Honolulu, and on Sunday he was slated to work on Oahu's North Shore. But Shepardson is also a top surfer, and had secured an invitation Sunday's Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, the Super Bowl for big-wave surfers that hadn't been held since 2016. Shepardson worked his shift, and then paddled out into the thumping swell at Waimea Bay to participate in the event. He rode a series of monster waves?"including a 30 footer?"to record the highest score, earning 89.1 of a possible 90 points. He nudged defending champ John John Florence out for the win.