"I may have seen a Gudaskis brother or it just may
have been Koa Smith."
It’s so good to be back!
Granted, getting back is a project in and of itself. Fortunately
my wife had the patience to manage the project and despite an
unclear testing status before leaving LAX and a misreading on our
entry papers we were ohana-adjacent enough to get through.
Waikiki is almost completely devoid of Japanese tourists which
is bad for local businesses and also bad for my wife as “spotting”
Japanese brides is one of her favorite past times.
But we’re here to talk about Sunday and Monday at Pipe.
Dubbed the Valentine’s Swell™️ by Surfline it was going to be
big and clean on Sunday and smaller but still clean on Monday.
When we walked up the path between the Volcom houses we were
greeted by Billy Kemper and Michael Ho discussing the
conditions.
Billy, in case you were wondering, gets preferred parking on the
path. I don’t even park on Ke Nui Road because I’m afraid of
getting slapped.
But one look at the lineup and I knew it was on.
The best day, by far, that I’ve ever seen at Pipe was Saturday,
December 21st 2013.
It was almost a week after Kelly had won the Pipe Masters and the
day he won the Wave of the Winter.
I didn’t see him that morning because he was supposedly trying
to get to a neighbor island but I did watch JOB break three boards
in 20 minutes and then watch John John get Pipe bomb after Pipe
bomb. There were drop ins that day and I even saw one slap!
Back to Sunday.
There were already 100 bodies in the water and I quickly picked
out Jamie and Balaram Stack.
The first person I noticed catching waves was Zeke Lau. He
looked good going left or right.
The conditions were challenging so going Backdoor was a
commitment. Even if you made it you could expect a lengthy paddle
to get back outside.
What I didn’t notice was the normal whistling and cat calling
from the Gerry House when the second reef sets rolled in. Face
masks and social distancing aren’t really a thing on the North
Shore but I guess Volcom is doing their part to spread Aloha and
not Covid.
The wave of the morning that I saw was Mark Healy. There are a
few good clips floating around but he got nice and deep and was
blown out. He came right out of the water and walked past us so I
was able to congratulate him.
Mason Ho walked past a few minutes later. Mason, I believe, is
trying to Make Short John’s Great Again because both he and Michael
sported the same surfing kit. But Mason is VERY handsome so he
pulls it off effortlessly.
And yes, Michael paddled out into second reef, wild and crazy
Pipe. I remarked to my wife that he’s 60+ and still surfing a wave
of consequence and she replied that Kelly will probably be doing
that until he’s 80.
Not only does she plan Covid testing she also knows her
legends!
I was very surprised to see Brother Kolohe enter the lineup
mid-morning. I guess he’s putting in the time in Hawaii and he was
active catching a few Pipe waves. But he still got dropped in on by
a sponger so he is still fighting to gain that respect!
Roman Noses were also represented with Leo Fioravanti smiling up
and down the beach. By Italian-ish American heritage was damn
proud!
Shortly thereafter a solitary figure appeared in front of the
beach park and your reigning Pipe Master entered the water.
I have usually seen John paddle in with his crew so I was a bit
surprised to see him go in alone. Both Ivan and Nate were already
in the lineup so maybe he had some Marine X boardshort designs to
review? Maybe there were sustainability issues? Mogul problems, I
guess.
Meanwhile Nate was catching his fair share of waves and surfing
them pretty well.
I may have seen a Gudaskis brother or it just may have been Koa
Smith. They certainly do resemble each other.
We took a lunch break at Ted’s and that’s when Mike O’Shaunessey
almost drown. Sitting at V-Land eating our fish sandwiches and
chocolate haupia pie (so Ono!) we heard the ambulance zip by.
Seeing the conditions and knowing how hard guys were charging it
wasnt a surprise to hear that someone got hurt.
And yes, the lineup is still 95% male. I did see a few young
ladies paddle out but didn’t see them catch any waves.
I won’t even paddle out so they certainly have my respect.
Dave Wassell paddled in just in front of us during the late
morning and then two hours later was saving a life while doing his
“day job.” Crazy stuff.
The good news is that helmets at Pipeline are just as ubiquitous
as RVCA stickers so surfers are eschewing the aesthetic and opting
for safety. Who said surfers were dumb???
The lineup cleared after that and we went back to Waikiki
content in knowing that Monday would be good as well.
The waves were down on Monday but the lineup was just as
crowded.
There were a lot of spongers in the water and drop-ins were
frequent. Even King Kelly was not immune to being dropped in by a
body boarder!
I couldn’t tell if it was the same guy who dropped in on Brother
but with no slaps exchanged the waves continued unabated.
JOB caught a bomb on his soft top and proceeded to paddle right
in claiming exhaustion.
Jamie is an affable guy and will stop to take pictures with kids
and also accept accolades from middle aged spectators like
myself.
Kalani Chapman (helmeted) was very noticeable as were Zeke and
Billy yet again. Billy seemed to be on every third Backdoor wave.He
paid the price with at least one broken board but seemed unfazed. I
guess that’s why he needs to park so close…quick access to fresh
boards!
A quick chat with my fellow barrier Island resident Balaram
Stack revealed his intention to stay in Hawaii until they kicked
him out. I remarked that was a solid strategy gives the current
winter weather in New York. I also noticed Bal going to/from the
Gerry House so maybe he’s been promoted? If so, good for him!
His fellow Volcom teammate Jackie Robo was seen smiling and
shaking hands both days. What’s funny though is that I didn’t
notice him in the water. Wonder why?
Michael Ho made another appearance and caught a bomb that has
been making the rounds. There was definitely a buzz on the beach
after that.
Joel Jitsu himself, long board in tow, emerged from the lineup
and right into the Gerry House. He and Slater sharing the same
lineup with no slaps, cracks or choke holds? Boring!
Anastasia Ashley sat down behind us to discuss her travel plans
and her recent ski trip. No mention, though, of real estate
transactions (sorry, Derek!).
Then another legend made his way down the beach with his swim
fins in hand. Mark Cunningham is probably the only non-European 70
year-old who can confidentially wear a banana hammock.
All three Florence brothers were very active and apparently I
missed a Backdoor party wave with John and Kelly.
Despite the conditions being better on that December day seven
years the lineup for these two days had a lot more talent.
Billy Kemper seems like a man possessed and once again, we have
proof that legends never die!
Oh what beautiful, glorious, chaos!
