They don’t call it “The Mecca Of Surfing” for no reason. Pipeline absolutely roared for the first ever Challenger Series event there, and wow – it was fantastic viewing. For some reason or another, this feels like a tone setter for the rest of the year for the WSL; as if there is a hint of some really good events on tap, wave-wise. I can have hope, right?
I would view this as a karmic blessing. A thank you – from the ocean, to the WSL – for booting that stinky Erik Logan, for bringing back the full year Champion, and overall, for trying to right the ship. Nice work, Mr. Crosby.
And now for my thank you’s. Thanks Pipe, for showing off your beauty, and for absolutely smoking some guys out there, all the while keeping everyone safe and providing some gut wrenching, picturesque surf. Thanks to those guys in the Trials, for absolutely sending yourselves under, and over the ledge in some dicey conditions (did you see some of those fucking wipeouts??). Thanks to CT surfers Cole Houshmand, Barron Mamiya, and specifically Griffin Colapinto, for parading into an event below your pay grade and ending some Challenger Series Dreams. That is a topic I want to get into at a later date. Last but absolutely not least, thanks to Joey Johnston – you are a damn legend.
We have a lot to recap, so let’s get into it.
DAY ONE
The WSL sent the Women out on Day 1 as the swell was set to fill in later. It was small, wonky, and looked tough to surf. A lot of heats were made on turns. I watched a couple of heats live before I decided to spend my time elsewhere, knowing there were waves en route. Here is a side note – I watched the highlight clip the WSL put up on Youtube after, they dont add any names to the clip, and they never have the score of the wave. It makes for a difficult watch, there is literally no context other than some soundbites they take from the day. I might be able to help out with some editorial stuff, if you guys need it. You’ve got my contact..
Anyways.
DAY TWO
Unruly, massive, and messy, this day saw some of Pipeline’s best ever lose out with sub-three point heat totals. It was crazy out there, though some highlight moments went down. Joey Johnston put the entire world on notice in the first heat of the day, and we thought we might be in for something special. The conditions didn’t clean up until much later in the day, and the morning was provided with some tricky surf. JOB and Koa Rothman both lost with less than 2 point heat totals. Josh Moniz mustered up a 2.24 between 2 waves. You either had to get busy, or get lucky. Makana Pang was busy, catching 5 waves and dropping a 16.00 heat total. Lucas Godfrey got lucky, making it through his heat with a 3.60 heat total.
So if JOB was struggling to find any waves out in his backyard, what do you think happened to the guys from out of town? A few made it, 7, into the Round of 64, while 9 Hawaiian’s made it out of the Round of 80. Joey Johnston packed another insane Backdoor wave. Makana Pang, again, got busy, looking to be the in form surfer up to this point. Luke Tema dropped the highest score of the day when the waves started to clean up, and whispers about this kid being the next out of Hawaii have officially begun.
Some of the best (or worst) moments to watch were the wipeouts. Shayden Pacarro jumping off the top rope, Josh Moniz leaping under the ledge. It was heavy. Glad to see that everyone got home safe.
DAY THREE
Yet again, Joey Johston set the tone first thing in the morning. If you’d tuned in up to this point, you were as sure as I was that this kid was going to win the entire event. He was, without a doubt, the guy to beat. In that first heat of the morning as well, CT’er Cole Houshmand took out 2 Challenger Series surfers Lucca Messinas and Deivid Silva – worth noting, I thought.
It was big, not huge, really good, really clean Pipe and Backdoor. That doesn’t always happen. From my understanding, first thing in the morning is usually pretty jumbled and mixed up, ‘morning sick’ as they say. Not this day; It was absolutely firing, to the point of looking semi-inviting, even to an average barrel dodger like myself.
Morgan Ciblic looked like he started gaining some momentum in Heat 2. He was comfortable at Backdoor, winning the heat with another former CT’er in Jackson Bunch advancing along behind him. Kauli Vaast blew out his heat going right at Backdoor, and Makana Pang surprisingly went down earlier than I had anticipated. Barron Mamiya surfed like he was, well, at home.
Sammy Pupo had a major meltdown worth talking about. He had the highest wave of his heat with an 8.33, early. He couldn’t find a backup over a 2.00, and with about 2 minutes left, needing just over a 3, he tried to get that score by performance surfing a Backdoor right. As Sammy was falling on the inside section, Jorgann Couzinet (in second place) nabbed a bomb right on the outside. A little fluffy, not super hollow, but a big wave nonetheless, and it turned out to be his best score of the heat with a 7.93. I didn’t look at any qualification scenarios, or points ratings before this event started – that’s my bad – but I thought I read that Sammy was able to qualify for the CT at this event. That obviously didn’t happen, and I’m sure he’s been kicking himself.
Taro Watanabe looked pretty good, but I hated his claim on this 9.27. I’ve said this before: nobody likes when they are forced. If he wasn’t in a heat needing a score, you think he claims that wave? No chance. Ian Gentil had a noteworthy wave in this same heat. Almost a heavy wipeout, into a heavy score. Pretty sick. Guy has one of the most unique styles I’ve ever seen, and I like to think I resemble that a little bit. I always root for Ian, and it was nice to see him put up a solid performance.
In the heat that followed, the wind started to pick up. Still a clean surface and face of the wave, but the lip was really starting to blow. A low scoring affair saw Winter Vincent and Ryan Huckabee through, sending veteran warrior Jadson Andre, and hvoide favorite Dimitri Poulos home. Right after this, conditions really deteriorated. Griffin Colapinto didn’t seem to mind though. He pulled a houdini trick on back-to-back Backdoor Rights, dropping a 15.67 heat total in 2 minutes, and telling his entire heat:
“Back. Back! BACK you devilish beasts! BACK TO THE CHALLENGER SERIES WHERE YOU CAME FROM!”
Mikey McDonagh got a fucked up wave in Heat 9. I don’t know how this lip didn’t axe his head straight off his shoulders. 9.50 might have been undercooked. This wave had me out of my chair. Well done. Stoked to see Nolan Rapoza get through as well. I don’t know how long he would last on Tour, but it would be cool to see him get there. He’s a bit of a fan favorite. Then something happened that you never would have thought possible – Benji Brand won his heat at Pipe by doing turns. Shocking, I know.
As you know, I’m not a huge Eli Hanneman guy, but he did have this pretty sick bowl-to-boost combo I wanted to shout out. Make sure you stop that video before his claim. It’s bad. Also, rewatch the high scoring rides of that heat (11). Tell me if you think Zeke should have advanced over Callum? Very close, but I think you have to reward the barrels at this venue, plus Zeke being the local, I really couldn’t believe they let CalRob get through this one by blistering a snap on the left. If Zeke lands that air he gets through no doubt, that is clear, but even without that I think the results could have been flipped. It is okay to have an opinion, you know. But as you know, this result had an effect on the outcome and remainder of the event..
Unfortunately Luke Tema fell victim to the conditions. As did the remainder of the heats in the day. I wanted to see that kid surf more, but at this point you had to be getting pretty lucky. The wave you caught might have a good line on it, but with that kind of wind and crumble in the lip, there was no predictability in the chandeliering sections coming down on you in the bowl.
Notable names advancing on into R32 from this point on were – Jako Baker, Seth Moniz, George Pittar, LOB & Shion Crawford.
Notable names falling out this round, aside from the aforementioned Makana Pang and Sammy Pupo – Luke Tema, Mason Ho, Ryan Callinan, Kanoa, Luke Swanson & Jake Marshall.
DAY FOUR
First heat of the day and guess what? Joey Johston drops a 9.33. It’s fucking massive; huge and scary. It’s not perfect by any measurement – the rights are stretched out and clamping, the lefts are not holding open at all early on. Carlos Munoz made it out of one that he was way on the shoulder for at Pipe, but it looked like the day was going to be all about Backdoor.
Side note, that camera angle they have from down the beach looking into the right at Backdoor makes it look so insane. I mean I know the wave is nuts, but it just looks gigantic on the takeoff. I literally can not imagine surfing that wave on a day like this. Anyways.
Kauli Vaast and Cole Houshman tied in the next heat (2). I was glad to see Vaast get the nod over Cole – and you should already know by now that’s only because I don’t like that Cole is playing in the Minor Leagues. Nor any of the other CT’ers for that matter. There I said it.
So in that heat Cole and Jackson Bunch proved my theory wrong; there were some proper Pipe waves. I am going to stick with my opinion of it looking clampy, but they netted some solid scores – 8.77 for Bunch, and 7.33 for Housh. Heat 3 had an interesting start with Jorgann Couzinet and Taro Watanabe having a real deal paddle battle. ‘Til the last second. I thought Couzinet might go over the falls. The ordeal ended up costing Taro, who won the battle and got the first wave, because that first one was shouldery, while Jorgann got a giant runner – 2.33 to 8.33. Ouch.
Pipeline started to come to life in Heat 4. Charly Quivront got blown out of a proper one, and he even let go of the rail on the backhand and stood tall. I bet that felt great. Griffin got 2nd behind the Frenchman, knocking out a couple guys really needing some points on the Challenger Series in Winter Vincent (12th) and Ian Gentil (35th). That right there, is why I don’t like CT surfers competing down.
Benji Brand dropped the highest heat total of the round with 16.80, and now he looked like the possible in-form surfer. His knowledge and relationship with that wave is basically what has given him a name in surfing, so it’s no real surprise to see him drop a 9.13 for the longest tube at Pipeline yet. The last heat of R32 (8) was bonkers. Seth Moniz, George Pittar, Liam O’Brien and Shion Crawford. Could have been the Final. It was surfed like a Final. Aside from Shion having a bit of a shocker, all 3 guys were fucking ripping. Pittar dropped the highest score of the event – 9.77 – for an absolute beast of a drop and bowl at Backdoor, then extending into a long runner that he had to race through before getting spit out. Crazy ride. Surprisingly, LOB still took the win from Pittar, and Georgey narrowly got through in 2nd over Seth Moniz, who had a 14.67 Heat Total. Great end to the round.
QUARTERFINALS
Griffin got completely punished on the opening wave of the QF’s. At least it looked like it. He probably pin dropped and made it under, but I like to think in my head it was his retribution. He still made it through, again, leaving Jackson Bunch (50) and Ryan Huckabee (52) short on some much needed points. Morgan Ciblic, however, remained the story. He is fucking CHARGING at this point, and its clear he’s building confidence. 17.50 snags the highest heat total of the event thus far, and he’s on to the Semi’s.
The Cinderella story continued in Heat 2, as Joey Johnston actually tied with Kauli Vaast (12.20), but he got through to the Semi’s on a countback. I’m sure you already know what that means, but they look at who has the highest scoring wave. If the 1st score is tied, they look at the backup – and so on. The wind was starting to puff off/side shore, and it seemed like the swell was starting to taper off. Jorgann Couzinet won this heat by having priority at the right time and nabbing the best wave that came through.
Something that you may or may not notice, especially on a dying swell, is the waves will pump for one heat and be pretty slow for the next. Heat 3 of the QF’s was nonstop. Eli Hanneman threw away a 7.33 and a high 5. Xavier Huxtable (who?) upped the ante on the high heat total of the event – 17.57. He took off almost upside down on a stretched out left at Pipeline, raced through 2 or 3 sections before coming out with his hands in the air. That one seemed like a true to form, classical, wtf just happened claim. Not that I like any claims, but I liked it. Hanneman & Huxtable to the SF, knocking Benji Brand and George Pittar.
The last heat of the Quarters had waves, but it looked almost too peaky. Nobody could get too long or clean of a barrel, and the scores reflected; Callum Robson -10.57, Liam O’Brien – 8.16, Riaru Itu – 6.80, Jacob Wilcox – 2.77.
SEMI FINALS
Kelly is in the booth now, and he makes mention of how the waves are starting to pinch. Wave selection is going to be key. The wind is starting to add some chatter and provide some chandeliers. And the worst part is our unsung hero Joey Johston goes down in the first Semi, lo and behold, at the hands of Griffin Colapinto. HE SHOULDN’T EVEN BE HERE. Morgan Ciblic also got through to the Final.
It has gotten tough out there, quickly. Eli Hanneman punches through a messy end section after threading through a nice little tube, and that single score alone was enough to beat everyone else in the heat. By the time this was over, I don’t know if there even were any more barrels out there. Everyone was trying to get scores on performance surfing, and Callum Robson – in another close one – got the nod over LOB and Xavier Huxtable.
FINAL
The waves were sketchy by this point. I don’t know how they do it; get bowled on a wave so damn messy. It’s really quite impressive. Anyways, Callum Robson would win this event by throwing an open faced air reverse at Backdoor. I told you, looking back now, that heat he had against Zeke – it would affect the outcome of the entire event. Does Zeke win it if that result is flipped? I don’t know. But it’s worth asking the question, I think.
Phew. What a doozy. Took me far too long to get that out. When you don’t stay on top of the event day-by-day, its so easy to get sidetracked and behind and delayed, to the point where a recap just never comes out. I’m glad I’ve forced myself back into this writing habit, added a bit to each when available each day and, voila – here we finally are.
Anyways – if you stuck around, cheers. Eli Hanneman is the only surfer to officially (RE)qualify for Tour so far next year. There is one event left on the Challenger Series for the remainder of the year/season – and that is Newcastle. I will have a prediction piece for you before then. But until that time, we’ve got to look at the Points Rankings and see what the new (returning) faces on Tour look like. There is also a QS Series Event starting today in Barbados. Action abounds.
See ya soon,
Cheers,
hwilsin
Drew Stanfield