Photos: Pipe Day 3
Today, Pipeline was a vision splendid with clear skies, light trades, and a rapidly buidling swell. The latter providing the drama for the best day of competitive surfing in years.
All photos Tony Heff, Brent Bielmann/WSL
Read Steve Shearer's recap here.
Mid-morning lineup
Jacko Baker has a quiet word before facing John John
Who was in devastating form, easily accounting for Baker
Above and below, Carlos Munoz before and after his ill-fated paddle out (Munoz dislocated his shoulder winning his previous heat)
On Day One, Miguel Pupo stuck a late drop only to have the lip shut him down. Today, he had an equally late drop yet the lip held up for a wild barrel.
Outside reef ensemble
Caio Ibelli was full of pluck in his heat against Callum Robson
Though he got knocked out, Callum Robson approached Pipe like it was Hawaii '76
Barron Mamiya sat deep during his heat against Slater, taking what the 11-time champ called "an aggressive line" across the reef. He led the heat for all but four seconds.
Slater's hands leave the rails with four seconds to go in the heat, and he easily surpasses the necessary score landing a 9.23.
Slater cut a webcast interview short to console Mamiya
Pipeline's backlit charm
JJF was pushed hard in his heat against Chianca
Chianca was edged out in a result that had Brazilian fans fuming
With the swell bombing (and his toe broken), Jordy was a vanquished warrior at late afternoon Pipe, beaten by Sammy Pupo
Comments
When does SN reckon finals day will run? and time? (pushing it)
Magic. That last photo of Jordy. So beautiful.
Probably Saturday, so Sunday Aussie time.
Also incredible photos, so crisp and sharp and the action they capture on such a special day!
Great shots .. I’m definitely loving this pipeline event so far the waves and commitment from competitors first class..
amazing shots.
they will need one more day for the women to get a Quarters draw.
pipe has been incredible. the rookies have been extraordinary.
Nice collection Stu.
Shoot out to the photographers.
So good to see a colletion of awesome shots lined up like this! Thanks Stu and Tony and Brian and Eric and everyone!
Miguel would be sending that photo straight to the pool room. Pipe looks more beautiful and without the usual crowd. Pupos last shot you can almost feel what happens next. Don't know if it's possible but it would be cool to hear from some photog's of what their all time favourite shots are and the stories behind them. Be it theirs or others. Film, digital or Print or media. Just looked at lostdoggy's Sean Davey's post. He always had a special eye and approach.
The Slater take-off shot is the pick for mine. The acute angle and vast wall unfolding is epic!
Yesterday was epic but how did it go from massive to tiny this morning? Swell dropped as quickly as it rose.
Also what's with the chicks getting assistance from the skis and wearing helmets in 3ft Pipe when the men had to paddle out in 10ft+ yesterday?!! They want equality in the sport but double standards much....
What has wearing helmets got to do with equality? A personal safety choice surely.... and I don't blame them for making it regardless of the size. Honestly would expect to see more men doing it too based on what happened to Owen Wright out there. Perhaps it hurts their fragile male egos too much.
I love the photo of Miguel Pupo from the water, front on. Imagine paddling out, seeing that and thinking "I'll have to take off like that soon". Big, fast and radical.
Thing is, Mig had already taken off on two waves like that. The first on Day One and another earlier yesterday, and both times he air-dropped, stuck it, but had the wave closeout on him.
I've been thinking about those two waves a bit.
On each of them he committed only to see the wave lurch hard and run off down the line. At that point, most surfers would eject, bail out, pin drop to get under lip.
Yet even knowing he was gonna cop a lip to the back of the head, Mig continued with the drop: he got air, stuck it, recomposed, then got blasted. But he learnt something from it.
I reckon those two waves (and probably others we haven't seen) were the apprenticeship for yesterday's howling drop and pit. Knowing he could make such late drops, he didn't bail out after he caught air, but continued from an improbable position, sticking the landing and scraping under the lip.
There's video footage of Tom Carroll practicing versions of his snap dating back to 1982. Great moments at Pipe, and I also count Mig's drop as one of them, are rarely ad-libbed.
I think it was Mark Healy that said the best waves of your life are the ones you don't think you're going to make when you take off. Always stuck with me.
Miguel has always been an unsung hero ...fully fledged charger.....and so down to earth....hope he does well.
really enjoying watching the CT elite surfers at 15 foot perfect pipe, ross williams does a great job in the commentary also
Awesome photos! You miss a lot of the majesty and heaviness of Pipe when watching videos.