Watch: Pipe's Midwinter Ball

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
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This Hawaiian season has been characterised by a relatively weak storm track running through the North Pacific, which has limited the number of XL swells but increased the frequency of mid-range pulses.

Since Christmas, the Pipe/Backdoor stretch has responded to these middling swells with days of waves in the 6-12 foot range under light trades.

Last Friday was just another perfect Pipe day with 8-10 feet of swell and optimal winds. Tucker Wooding flew the drone to capture the day's best rides.

Also, The Pipe Masters waiting period begins in five days with favourable swells expected to continue, if slightly tempered in size. 

Comments

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 9:44am
radiationrules's picture
radiationrules's picture
radiationrules Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 10:47am

nothing quite like Hawaiian waves and the the uber-talented surfers that charge them. I don't like drones in the water - but the angles really put you there...

AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 10:48am

Bald Eagle burns another one. Can’t let anyone else get any of the attention.

nextswell's picture
nextswell's picture
nextswell Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 11:48am

Haha. Why he won’t retire. Has to stay relevant. 11 titles not enough despite the fact it will never be surpassed.

sideshow's picture
sideshow's picture
sideshow Saturday, 29 Jan 2022 at 4:18pm

Yeah, you told him, you dead set legend.

AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace Saturday, 29 Jan 2022 at 4:45pm

Bait the hook and they’ll come to the surface. Another Slater sycophantic vigilante, you must be young. What’s it like idolising someone you don’t even know ? Got a few things missing in your life, need a teddy bear or similar to hold onto . Give me a break

sideshow's picture
sideshow's picture
sideshow Sunday, 30 Jan 2022 at 12:13pm

Aw, you're so cute.

nickca's picture
nickca's picture
nickca Tuesday, 25 Jan 2022 at 11:21am

not the only World Champ burn out there?

mr mick's picture
mr mick's picture
mr mick Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 10:57am

Wonder who he burnt & if anything was said, fella did well to hang in there, maybe give his bald head a slap!

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 11:03am

It was Kalani David who said on IG: "I was pissed at the time but Kelly apologized…he’s the man, and also he told me he owes me one."

Solitude's picture
Solitude's picture
Solitude Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 12:04pm

Wonder why he went? Pulling rank probably.
Wonder who he 'wouldn't' do that too and where he sits in the pecking order at present?

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 12:21pm

Said he thought the guy was going left, which sounds a bit nudge nudge wink wink, but the pulled back view shows an ant's nest crowd on a day that accommodates Pipe and Backdoor equally, so those things are gonna happen.

Recall him in the nineties doing it unknowingly to someone he shouldn't have. Took one late, pulled in, and as he was spat out noticed someone was riding behind him - Lopez!

Realising the gravity of what he'd done - and imagining the crew on the beach thinking it was a deliberate move to become Top Dog - he paddled straight up to Mr Pipeline and apologised profusely, expecting to cop a mouthful in return.

"Hey," said an unperturbed Lopez, "I know a 100 kids who'd pay 100 bucks to ride behind you."

Solitude's picture
Solitude's picture
Solitude Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 1:20pm

Nice story. Says a lot about Lopez.

Surprised it doesn't happen more out there really. Must be very stressful surfing.

blackers's picture
blackers's picture
blackers Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 1:53pm

It’s the little things. Thanks Stu, that little story made my day.

Crab Nebula's picture
Crab Nebula's picture
Crab Nebula Tuesday, 25 Jan 2022 at 1:14pm

+1.

Nick Bone's picture
Nick Bone's picture
Nick Bone Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 2:35pm

I couldn’t imagine cracking the line up out there being a unsponsored yet capable surfer. Putting your down and paddling hard while having to focus on everything else around you.

memlasurf's picture
memlasurf's picture
memlasurf Saturday, 29 Jan 2022 at 8:45am

From my Intel Lopez was a bit of a dog when he was younger to took everything for himself so not the saint everybody thinks.

sideshow's picture
sideshow's picture
sideshow Saturday, 29 Jan 2022 at 4:20pm

That's awesome Stu!

Where-is-albo's picture
Where-is-albo's picture
Where-is-albo Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 3:57pm

1 back door wave = 1 day at the ranch?

bluediamond's picture
bluediamond's picture
bluediamond Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 11:14am

Wow. 10/10 from me. Great mix of footage, epic waves, surfing and music. Loved the water angle. Would love to see it used more often, especially during the comps.

Finnbob the terror's picture
Finnbob the terror's picture
Finnbob the terror Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 4:09pm

Great Vid, good song.
This version is good.

conrico's picture
conrico's picture
conrico Monday, 24 Jan 2022 at 5:56pm

Pipe receives so much more media attention than Backdoor and yet in my mind the best of Backdoor is better than the best of Pipeline (longer, hollower, same otherwise). I wonder to what extent the varying levels of coverage is attributable to photographers being able to sit in the channel at Pipe, avoiding closeouts, and capture the images that feed our news channels / hype machine

bluediamond's picture
bluediamond's picture
bluediamond Tuesday, 25 Jan 2022 at 11:53am

Pipe bombing....again.
live footage

gragagan's picture
gragagan's picture
gragagan Tuesday, 25 Jan 2022 at 12:29pm

Yep love this cam been checking it every day for the last few weeks. It's been good....

gragagan's picture
gragagan's picture
gragagan Tuesday, 25 Jan 2022 at 12:35pm

All this day after day after day of pipe being good has to be a blessing for the women and their upcoming debut at the Pipe Masters. Even if it's packed and they can't get a wave it still gives them the opportunity to be out there in the lineup getting familiar with it, learning where to sit, which ones to go, lines to take etc

bluediamond's picture
bluediamond's picture
bluediamond Tuesday, 25 Jan 2022 at 12:48pm

Yeah there'd definitely be windows to sneak out onto the inside and scrape into a couple. Would love to see someone like Sally just grab the bull by the horns this year and throw caution to the wind. She's the sorta surfer that could and i reckon she would have learnt alot from her first experience out there.
Some pretty wild sets coming though....guys falling out of the sky. Looks pretty intimidating even on the pulled back vision.

gragagan's picture
gragagan's picture
gragagan Tuesday, 25 Jan 2022 at 1:18pm

I wonder if that Hawaiian girl Moana is in (edit just checked she is). I'll tip her and Carissa in the final if it's proper Pipe. But yeah be good if Sal got up. Maybe she needs to bust an eardrum first haha

bluediamond's picture
bluediamond's picture
bluediamond Tuesday, 25 Jan 2022 at 3:15pm

Argh just saw the forecast. Scrap everything. It's Tati's to lose!!!

sideshow's picture
sideshow's picture
sideshow Saturday, 29 Jan 2022 at 4:22pm

It's not as if they will be running the women when it's bombing. They will get the small days.

batfink's picture
batfink's picture
batfink Sunday, 30 Jan 2022 at 1:59pm

Great vid, cool song, and good to Carissa and Moana both get waves. For the women who are going to be paddling out in the comp you’d have to get out there even just to feel it, experience it, even if you couldn’t find a wave. Who’d want to paddle out there for the first time in a singlet?