In photos like this one, Silverbacks may seem like an easy choice for a pro-surfing strike mission: there’s no shortage of power, beauty and drama to be found in this yawning slab. But the Panamanian phenomenon has a steep learning curve and is maddeningly fickle, with the forecast for the mercurial Caribbean coastline often changing significantly between a visitor’s takeoff and landing. For some surfers, however, that’s precisely the draw. “To me, Silverbacks is a unique, almost mythical wave,” explains Kemper, pictured here in its maw during a recent trip with friends Nathan Florence and Eli Olson. “The first time I saw it, I thought it looked like a crazy, reverse Teahupoo. But it’s so hard to score—you’re pretty much rolling the dice every time you go, even if the…
