Kohl Christensen hands his three-day old crown to that ol master Don King…
Three days ago, or thereabouts, Kelly Slater announced that he had seen the best photo ever taken at Pipeline.
It was a shot of underground Pipe regular Kohl Christensen, snatched on a grapefruit sunset, by the photographer Daniel Russo, who was seated on a jetski.
“This picture sums up why we surf. And nobody seems to be more in tune with the ocean than Kohl,” said Kelly.
(Click here for story, photo.)
Russo ain’t one to claim thing, but he did say it was his best ever shot at Pipe.
“Perception of one’s experience can vary from person to person. But this image is exactly what happened. To me, this is the exclamation mark of the winter at Pipeline,” said Russo.
Christensen, for his part, was pretty quick to hose off the best-ever photo tag, writing on his IG account, “The best picture is the picture that inspires you the most. Pipeline. Surfer Magazine 1984 shot by Don King. I had this shot on my wall as a kid. I didn’t know Chappy. I was only seven when this went to print but it was so amazingly beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Shocking. The size of the barrel! The lip detonating on the shallow reef, the boils and Chappy’s crazy low ninja tube stance. I never forgot this image and along with countless other wonderful captures, I was inspired to follow my dream of surfing the ‘Pipeline’ one day.”
A roll call of noted surfers were quick to agree.
Mark Healey: “Still my favorite Pipe shot. Something about the lack of distortion in the image makes it feel more like real life out there.”
Shane Dorian: “That is still by far my favourite shot of all time at pipe!! Had the poster on my wall and just stared at it for hundreds of hours in shock.”
Koby Abberton: “Had it on my wall for 15 years!”
And, Kelly Slater, of course.
“Chappy was insane and underrated out there I thought. Always charging from so deep. I played golf behind him and got to chat a couple years back on the Gold Coast. That conversation ultimately allowed me to make a flight I was late for on the Gold Coast but that’s a different story for another time. Glad I got to meet him finally. Was always a legend to me from Performers in early 80’s.”
Chappy, for those who aren’t one hundred years old, is James Jennings, a surfer from Queensland who, despite being the size of an adolescent girl, was a marquee Quiksilver rider alongside Gary “Kong” Elkerton.
Matt Warshaw’s Encyclopedia of Surfing (subscribe here) describes the photo and Chappy thus:
“He was better known as a fearless tuberider, utilizing a wide, low, crablike stance, and a photo of him racing through an cathedral-sized tube at Pipeline ran as a two-page spread in A Day in the Life of Hawaii, a 1984 coffee-table photo book. “The usual mugs were riding deep,” SURFER magazine said of Jennings’ performances at Pipeline that year. “But Chappy went deepest, and those who witnessed it talked for weeks in tones of respect and valor.”
“despite being the size of an adolescent girl”
What, are there pro surfers who aren’t?
Incredible wave and photo.
The big question is:
Did he make it?
Umm I think you’ll find this shot was taken in 1983. I’m pretty sure because I was out there at the time. It was the General’s second winter in Hawaii after his and Gary’s incredible 1982 efforts, during which Chap was actually blown off his feet on the Kui golf course at midnight during Hurricane Iwa. Pipe was about 8’ this day and this particular wave wasn’t super big but my god it was thick. Chappy makes it look bigger because he’s only about 4’ tall. ‘83 was one of the great years, half the top gun pros didn’t go because of the whole ASP vs IPS blow up, and thus everyone got along with each other and the surf was amazing.
ScottSanDiego’s avatar is the best picture of (a) pipe
I miss the cock avatar! wait that came out wrong..
Don’t call me “avatar”
There’s the famous pic of Occy when he is about 16 and just pulled out of the barrel but the lip is about to crush him (same angle as the Chappy pic). It was in surfer mag and had the caption: “He was erased”. I loved that pic but it used to terrify me too. Also the famous Tom Carroll pic that everyone’s forgotten.
Could we do a reader poll? Strictly between the two photos, leaving aside the “best of all time” question:
Upvote here if the older pic of Chappy J is better.
Upvote here if you prefer the newer pic of Kohl C.
They’re completely different photos though.
Chappy: AAARRRGGGHHH vs Kohl: aaahh
No?
Yah — I can’t pick between ’em. Both are rad for different reasons and stuff.
I wonder if the people who picked Chappy like their porn zoomed in on just the genitals? I like the broader scene, maybe a curtain fluttering in the background …
I like my curtains thoroughly zoomed in upon!
Pornography ( more is more ) v Erotica ( less is more ) .
Beef Curtains v Lace Curtains ?
The General (back left), when surfing had some actual characters still lurking about. https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Nice shot of Bruce Raymond with the boys . Who is lurking in the back of the car ? Any ideas ?
We could never figure that out.
Rabblt? I can never remember, it seems to be far away in time.
Rabbit was with Quik at the time as was Wayne Lynch, but why hide someone in the back of the car , possibly Cram or Bryce Ellis or someone along those lines ?
Echo Beach ! Sorry Pie it just clicked ……
Was Crammy a character? Seemed like a normal bloke
Crammy was the most normal professional surfer in history.
Wasn’t he a huge fan of a cup of tea and a scone?
Adorable.
Hang the fuck on, that shot’s been altered, in the original Bruce had a bottle of beer in his hand.
Beer is still safer to the environment , when used responsibly, than Quiksilver / Mercury ever was or will be ?
Ya mean this one? https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
3 things we no longer see ?
1)Fosters in Surfing . Much better to take out a bank loan for a 6 pack of Corona ?
2)The Word Fuck in Advertising . Toned it down a went broke ?
3)An Australian without a mullet in a Quik Ad ?
More ?
Does anyone remember a series of images showing the majestic faces in the whitewater of pipe? Something about Hawaiian gods from back in the 80’s?
see the lopez shot above.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c… Lopez Hawaiian Chief face in the lip.
Two other shots of note… even though it’s not a ridden wave, I think you have to consider the magnitude of the iconic Greg Noll shot. Pipe was still an enigma at the time and GN was contemplating riding it with that log. The other shot would be of Lopez and the “Face in the Wave” which resembles a Hawaiian Chief.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
I like to think of him in a to surf or not to surf moment but having heard a story about the Bull , possibly true , I am not sure that he was worried at all ? The story goes that one day after work he turned up at Waimea Bay around dusk without a board , swam out and told the only bloke out to give him the board forcing the other bloke to swim in and then surfed till dark while still wearing his work boots ….
that’s classic. work boots maybe taking the legendary status a little too far though… but i agree. stories of Noll tend to border on the outrageous to straight up unbelievable.
I thought this was shot at Makaha?
no. this is pipe. the famous makaha shots of him were action shots in the full cowboy stance. ironically, from what i understand, none of them were of the legendary wave that he supposedly rode to shore and proceeded to hang up his surfboard for good.
I think you’ll find it was Low, Wide, Stinkbug Stance!
great shots. kind of spoiled by the stiff cock hanging above the top left corner of them.
Tones of respect and valour. Could easily be describing Chas’ print courtship of E-lo?
Tones of disrespect and velour. Could easily be describing Chas’ year long courtship of A-Go?
Nostalgia… I laugh in its face. Hah!
He says while gathering and examining its entrails…..
I bet Kelly used the backspace key on his keyboard at least 57 times getting his word choice just right on that IG post.
Yep, can’t wait for the ‘story for another time’, just gagging for it.
Isn’t this Eric Logan’s job to create content like this from the WSL’ marquee waves.
Not some useless shit of him SUP foiling
It’s possible during his discussions with the WSL over his future employment that some silly person said to him that he was over qualified for the WSL Tour and ELo , the aspiring surfer/SUP ,thought they said “ ELo . YOU HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE TOUR ! “ ?
If he posts something with his foil attached in reverse, the ratings will go through the roof!
where did Chappy end up?
My head says tiling bathrooms and playing slots at the Coolie bowls club.
Went to visit him once, late nineties, and boy he wasn’t the cute little kid anymore. An aficionado of poker machines, from memory.
Seen his running mate Kong lately?
Yeah, see him every now and again. Lived in Bondi for years, had a Brazilian girl. A little over skeletal capacity at the mo.
Queijo demais!
haha….yes.
Pretty sure he’s back living on the Sunshine Coast. His girlfriend is a (PE?) teacher at a State School.
He’s living just down the road from this neck of the woods, going alright from what I’ve heard. Didn’t he do alright in the geriatric World Titles?
Can’t confirm or deny girlfriends nationality or unemployment status. The last time I was in a school carpark with a set of binoculars led to some abrupt questions and an uncomfortable scene.
The only thing scarier than a Pipe cavern is a strangely neon lit den with spinning screens and irritating computer game noises. Gives me the creeps, the stagnant waft of desperation and the fading hope of a life once lived.
For some reason the video from The Saints “ Ghost Ships “ came to mind , though it was filmed with old blokes in a pub and not a pokie in sight ?
It should be illegal to call that version ‘The Saints’ without the qualification ‘minus Ed Kuepper’. While Chris Bailey wrote some good songs post Ed, he would have been better served by letting The Saints name burn out. Team Ed forever.
Couldn’t agree more.
Say it ain’t so :-/
Would be very happy to hear that Chappy was lean and well and still surfing.
His performance at pipe is a distant second to his bicycle performance in kongs island.
Funnily enough Student 8888 posted this image of Chappy a few days ago but it ended up by error in the comments under another post .The Little General started surfing in South Australia and remember him always from an article in Tracks “ The Littlest Grommet Came Last “ after his first crack at The Pro Junior at Narrabeen before he went to the Gold Coast and became a star playing the perfect polar opposite to Kong for an aspiring board short maker of the time ….The segment of Chappy , Rabbit and Kong in Kong’s Island at ( a hollow right ) …accompanied by the Sunny Boys’ Tunnel of Love “ is all time !
Thank you for the shoutout JB! As soon as I saw the title of the article I said to myself “Uh uh. Nope.” and immediately googled CHAPPY JENNINGS PIPELINE. And there it was. Just as gnarly as I remembered it as a kid. You recognized Chappy immediately. I was just blown away that no one else thought of this image right away either. Cheers.
Your welcome . Reminded me of a quote from the Great German Explorer and Scientist Alexander Von Humboldt ;
“There are three stages of scientific discovery: first people deny it is true; then they deny it is important; finally they credit the wrong person.” ..
First they ridicule you, then they ignore you, then they fight you, then you win.
Gandhi but apparently not Gandhi?
Solidarity Brothers and Sisters and Not Sures .
Nicholas Klein was an American labor union advocate, and attorney who is best known for his speech to the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America in 1918.
First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. And then they attack you and want to burn you. And then they build monuments to you.
Jimmy, can I call you Jimmy? Ok, sorry. Mr. Bickerton you are a wealth of knowledge.
Two things I’ve learned from you in the past few months. Both of which have led me down early morning Wikipedia rabbit holes on the heels of being woken up by my newborn.
La propriete, c’est le vol!
Nicholas Klein
What will this fountain provide for us next?
Will my true awakening come from fatherhood or the beach grit comment boards?
Jimmy is fine , been called much worse .Just thought the Proudhon quote was apt for Dr. Jen See in her battle with dickhead home owner at Rincon . Who knows where awakening may come from but try to have a giggle along the path to finding it .
Had the lay forward rail grab backside tuberiding thing on lock.