"It's so clearly a slap in the face to the WSL and the title 'Pipe Master'"
There’s no need, I suppose, for any more musing over how the WSL and Vans destroyed surfing’s most precious cultural relic the Pipeline Masters, although Kolohe Andino’s calculated swing tonight calls for it.
A brief recap for those who’ve swung into the party late.
A hammer was taken to the contest when the WSL, and Vans who own the intellectual property rights to the Pipeline Masters, couldn’t swing a mutually satisfying agreement with Billabong for ‘em to continue as naming sponsor of the event.
See, because the WSL’s wanted to start the 2022 season in Hawaii and end it at Trestles in September, they had to run the 2021 Pipe Masters in January. Therefore there couldn’t be two events in the same year so the usual December slot wasn’t used.
This meant that for 2022, the WSL had to juggle the events and come up with new dates and names.
The Volcom Pipe Pro got dropped in favour of Billabong taking over that slot, renaming it, awkwardly, Billabong Pro Pipeline.
A couple of hours back, John John Florence, won what was theoretically his second Pipe Masters (Johnny won in 2021 before the keys were handed back), although historians, or historian, there’s only one, will debate the merits of win number two.
In any course, Kolohe Andino, a long-time friend of Johnny’s, came out swinging after the WSL posted a clip of today’s win.
“Funny you guys promote this event when it’s so clearly a slap in the face to the WSL and the title “pipe master”, wrote the almost thirty-year-old Kolohe Andino. “It’s a sad, thirsty for content surf world we are enduring.”
Surf fans, for the most are in his corner, 381 likes so far and replies including:
u should run for president of WSL brother Kolohe Andino.,
Agree 1000% but feels like this comp was so much better than CT events even the Pipe event in January. It’s obviously not the same as it used to be with the tour ending at Pipeline but with the WSL trying to be cost efficient i don’t think it will ever come back to the better format. Also this is what happens when the judges do not rob John John
Legend John John but wsl please get with the program and have the actual pipe masters for the final event no more final 5 at trestles please
Did I miss something Kolohe Andino? What happened to the Pipe Masters? This seemed like an invitational event or something.
World Surf Losers are feeling the #boycottwsl due to their idiotic, short-sighted, woke, corporate, nonsurfer choices by eliminating events from September – December, eliminating Pipe as the final event, creating a Final-5 at Trestles in August where the top 5 surf that event with zero points-winner take all, and canceling @bethanyhamilton for having the massive labias to tell the truth. Eat 💩 @wsl . Vans created a better contest than you’ve had since you decided to run the Final-5 kook idea. Cry me a river rollerbladers.
Also, Chas Smith, who Hates Surfing, covers the Pipe Masters in detail below.
The nightmare of an incoherent world.
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Kolohe is a boring surfer to watch….John John on the other hand dominates Pipeline with Jamie Obrien….so envy is a bitch
I don’t really care that people are bothered that Pipemasters is no longer a CT event. I’m down for it to be invitational, with plenty of non CT surfers you never see in a jersey. My only problem is where the hell is Dane Reynolds? Doesn’t Reynolds ride for Vans still?
What’s with Chas dressed up as an extra from Something about Mary ? Got more of a head suited to podcasting rather than vlogging
Im still trying to breath through my nose proper after dealing with the visual mind punch of processing ‘massive labia’s’
Chloe white-knighting the WSL in a vain attempt to be gifted a win on the CT at some point.
Tellingly, no surfers of renown have liked or commented on his post.
John John already has brothers to remind him it’s not a proper Pipe Masters…
Well when you have had as much success as Kloe then you’re entitled to your opinion.
This just in
Surf hating behemoth Beachgrit begrudgingly puts up live thread link at last minute in latest of a series of fuck yous to pipe masters exhibition non elimination event!
#commentsarethenewheadlines
Thanks Ric for calling out BG for their dismissive non-coverage. It’s curious as you would’ve thought contest comment threads would be bread and butter to BG. Perhaps Rielly is too busy gobbling dicks to make the effort. Although I’m a certified hater of corporate contests in Hawaii and I agree this “contest” was really just a corporate retreat for Vans and a vacation reward for their sponsored riders and employees. Despite that, a heap of local unknowns and others got the chance to surf Pipe and the chicks were able to really bust their nuts in prime conditions.
That said, the dearth of good surf writers here has reached ridiculous proportion. JP, Jen, KVF, Ads etc all MIA. Either they don’t give a rip anymore or Rielly, as usual, flat out stiffs or underpays the writers. No pre or post wraps and no running comments is no bueno.
And for all the brown cash bags that Vans has you’d think they could come up with better commentators than Makua, KK, Sal and that wahine Aussie on the beach. What an embarrassing bunch of twits.
The commentary I also found to be flat out fucked. Holly was good though.
In almost every interview she said “have a beer”.
That’s awesome.
Especially awesome for all the alcoholics out there.
Thanks.
And seasoned Nathan Fletcher as the contest director
Good to see you here Huli. The surf world has to clean house with commentary. There is so much talent on the mic in other sports. There are knowledgable, charismatic, funny fuckers out there champing at the bit to hear themselves talk all day – go find em wsl!
meanwhile we are roaming free, united by the same common goal: solving the judging problems and picking Lottery numbers: one is the loniest, two can be as bad as one, 11.0, 75.9, 69.9…winner gets 100K. here at BG let’s just draw plastic straws and look at each other’s penis’s…oh yeah…a niner might win it all!
https://youtu.be/G3xc4LMTrT…
epic bashings and lashings…35 minutes of pure horror. still johnny found a winning wedge. formula One-style watch. but no crash…practicing duck-diving in a pool saved many lives. thx jeebus…for pools!
Post Deleted!! The Empire Strikes Back!!!
No mention of the women?
Not just Moana’s mastery but all the top women absolutely charging.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
chicks were charging
The girls went hard. Any backpedalling on your torched views regarding Harry Bryant, Huli?
Haha. Hairy really sent it on that bomb hey?
But as Makua said right after that wave “sometimes it’s better to be lucky than be good“. That sums it up as Harry is lucky to be sponsored by Vans and get a slot at Pipe.
In an interview on air Hairy said he doesn’t even attempt to free surf it as it’s way too crowded. Hairy, like so many others, have the skills given the chance to have only a couple of others in the lineup.
Harry was lucky AND good. Praise be!
Something about big labia apparently, though maybe that was some other website i was on?
Was Koa smith in it?
If not, and I don’t think he was, I wonder if he is getting a little too emotional for the crew.
He was not invited.
Don’t necessarily disagree with any of the sentiments expressed here but …
Winner of Vans Pipe Masters = $100,000 check
Winner of Billabong Pro = $80,000 check
the whole bunch of surfriders qualify for the wipe-out reel and get nothing in return. we need an update on the injury list before we start tossing in gambling $$$…for the ’24 season. oops, there’s only one of two of these guys on the CT tour. my $’s still on John. appears to have come out: unscathed.
The smell of rubber brings back memories of traveling abroad
huarache sandles with real tire treads, street tacos, warm tortillas with butter…fresh ceviche…beach bonfires…sinsemilla with paraquat…ooh ohh, that smell
upvote on all the above though I’m not familiar with Señorita Sensamilla or what she does with her paraquat.
I got bit on the lip by a Parrot. Fricking hurt.
Heck yea, I’m about to coop up some keala kennely boardies!
Can we all just agree that Moana’s dismount off the ski when arriving to the beach is worth a replay from all 127 camera angles setup for the comp?
It should be called the Van’s El Petite Pipe Masters. Seems most contestants haven’t hit their growth spirts? I didn’t see one contestant interview that was man enough to wrangle the women doing the post heat interviews. John’s 6’1?
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Love the new Vans Haku Hat ensemble.
Very Hawaiian.
First off this comp was super fun to watch. That being said, this comp has a different way to fill the comp with surfers, different comp format, and heavy favoritism towards the event sponsor. Call it what you want but this is not a pipe masters. This was an impressive field of surfers but there were a few names missing notably Gabriel who I think would have probably made the final as he usually does. The old pipe masters left no doubt when the comp was over that the winner beat the best to win and this comp leaves doubt so in my opinion it’s it’s own thing. I’m willing to call these deserving champs vans pipe masters. But i’m putting heavy emphasis on vans.
Honesty if this doesn’t do it just Google the new vans hiking boot and that should push you over the edge
Watching surfing sucks, don’t try it.
Kolōhe