*** Official Billabong Pipe Masters thread ***

[ElOgro]

lol at slater missing the olympics. time to dump the fireturd slater designs

How much you wanna bet that someone that did make the cut will find it convenient to bow out? Might be worth it.

 

[YeahNo]

While I was sitting on the beach watching a group of 3-4 people sat behind us. The beach was packed or I would’ve moved. One guy knew nothing about surfing and contest surfing. He asked some really good questions. And his friend who sounded like he had watched the wsl wedcast before answered as best he could. That’s what it’s going to be like for the Olympics broadcast and the majority of viewers that never watched a surf comp before. It was irritating when I was trying to listen to the beach announcers give out scores, priority and time. But it was interesting in how will the network broadcasters explain the “sport” of surfing to people who never surfed, and the knowledge of surfing we as surfers take for granted.

Maybe they'll have Todd Richards cover it. He can keep it equally entertaining and informative.

 

[aldo]

Next year a retirement victory lap?

Didn’t he come out and declare that 2019 would be his last year on tour as soon as Parko announced his retirement?

 

[Leaverite]

Had the opportunity to watch the Slater/Freestone heat live yesterday afternoon. So stocked. That was surfing.

Have not had the chance today to watch the semis.

 

[GromsDad]

The Hui Backdoor Shootout is the Pipe specialist event. But you won’t see CT guys in it because it’s not a WSL sanctioned event. Otherwise you’d see John and Kelly in it every year.

I haven’t surfed real Pipe in a long time but Mike and Derek Ho get any wave they want then Jamie. I picked up a board from Wade a few weeks ago and we were talking about how good Pipe has been this early. He showed me a clip of that Joao Chianca airdrop to shack. So insane. I guess Wade made him some boards. Anyway one of the guys that has been on a tear a Pipe told Wade on the perfect day Jamie got the best wave of every set. He just did rounds past the packed lineup.
Here’s Joao’s wave. Wade said he’s never seen that long of an air to recovery, barrel
and make.
http://instagr.am/p/B5OdBS3HPns/

The WSL should go and play in wave pools and Brazilian beach breaks. The Pipe Masters should be about the best Pipe surfers PERIOD. I realize there are a couple more events held at Pipe but the Pipe Masters should be the grand daddy of them all. Just watch the entries in the Oneill Wave Of The Winter year after year and you will see who belongs in the grand daddy of all surf contests. Perhaps in the modern era the Oneill Wave Of The Winter is the grand daddy of all surf contests. Perhaps more sponsors should step up and make that the biggest purse in all of surfing.