Surfing
The Banzai Pipeline is not only the North Shore's crown jewel spot, it's the home of the WSL Championship Tour's season opening Lexus Pipe Pro. Dive in below to learn more about the wave.
Pipeline is without doubt the most famous wave on the planet. While the Hawaiian archipelago is ripe with world class breaks, Pipe is the pick of the bunch. For a long time Pipe was the final event of the Championship Tour and regularly crowned world champions, but after the introduction of the WSL Finals in 2021 Pipeline has been moved to the start of the season. Baptisms of fire don't come much harder for the rookies than the Lexus Pipe Pro.
Tune into Red Bull TV to stream this year's WSL Championship Tour and never miss a minute of action again.
The lay of the lineup
A hypnotic, barreling peak that breaks over a series of shallow reef ledges, Pipeline is the left, while Backdoor is the right. Ideally, swells will be hitting from the north-west, allowing for both Pipe and Backdoor to work, and the ENE trade winds will be blowing and holding open Pipe's famous tubes. Mid-tide is ideal. Too much water on the reef is not great for the waves, while too little water can make things even scarier than usual.
Heading west from Backdoor brings you to Off The Wall, Rock Piles and Log Cabins, while to the east of Pipeline lies the Ehukai Beach Park, a magnet for local families when the ocean is a little more laidback.
Across the road sits Sunset Beach Elementary, surfing's most esteemed halls of education, and just up the road is the the North Shore's favourite land-based hangout, Banzai Skatepark.
Who surfs Pipeline?
The North Shore of Oahu is known as 'The Proving Ground' for a reason. As well as the incredible array of local talent who protect their patch at all costs, surfers from all over the world flock to Hawaii, some to prove themselves, many to test themselves and some who've never tried it before but think the best waves in the world might be the best place to learn.
On any given day locals like Jamie O'Brien and Kai Lenny can be found patrolling the lineup amongst world champions like Carissa Moore, John John Florence and Kelly Slater, while A-listers like Jack Robinson, Erin Brooks and Griffin Colapinto's reputations grow stronger every time they paddle out.
The lineup
The seabed at Pipeline is a mixture of sand in perpetual motion, coral reef and bulletproof volcanic lava. There are cracks and caves in the reef, literal holes that a human can get wedged in whilst being pummelled by the full fury of the Pacific, and on the water sits the heaviest crowd in surfing. There are also a few rocks poking their heads out around the place just for good measure.
To surf Pipeline, paddle off the beach at Ehukai and head for the deep water east of Pipe. To say there's a channel between Backdoor and Off The Wall would be generous at best and it's not unusual to see surfers paddle the long way around past Pipeline after kicking out of Backdoor waves.
Is Pipeline for the girls?
Pipeline is for the f@cking girls!
According to 2024 world champion Caity Simmers, who kicked-off her title run with a win at Pipeline, the answer to that question is yes: Pipeline is most definitely for the girls.
What else?
Contests at Pipeline are for everyone. With the North Shore a long way from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu, and most surfers staying in beachfront houses rather than hotels, there's very little VIP treatment on offer at the events. A spot on the sand is the best seat in the house, lifeguards and surfers will run through the flocks of fans to hit the water, and coaches and surfer entourages are also happy to operate from sea level.
Pipe is not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced, but boy does it put on the world's best surfing competition, as it has done since 1971. If you ever have the chance to attend an event at Pipeline you must. If not, tune into Red Bull TV to stream this year's WSL Championship Tour and never miss a minute of action again.
