"For, like, under $50k you could do a decent livestream..."
Vans has had difficulty taking a right step as the North Shore’s ’24 – ’25 winter season continues to roll along. The troubles began over three weeks ago when the distressed cobbler released its invite list for the once prestigious Pipe Masters event. The most important wave in all of surfing used to crown champions but since the World Surf League shuffled its calendar, has been relegated to a specialty event for Vans-sponsored surfers.
As such, Jamie O’Brien was left out of the draw, provoking immediate ire from Oahu locals who recognize the carrot-topped regular foot as one of the greatest Banzai wranglers ever. The usually quiet Josh Moniz, voicing the frustration of many, went directly after the afflicted cordwainer, openly declaring, “It’s shocking to see how, in such a short time, Vans has nearly ruined what it means to be a Pipeline Master. The way this event has been handled in recent years, since Vans bought the rights to it, feels disrespectful to one of the most iconic waves and events in the history of surfing—right here at OUR home in Hawaii.”
Vans, attempting to fix the matter, told O’Brien he was left off because he was too old at which point the 41-year-old went out, bagged the most ferocious waves of a swell event and mocked the befuddled crispin by posting footage directly to Instagram.
Realizing error, O’Brien was quickly included, Vans employees likely wiping brows, hoping the trouble to be in the rearview.
It was not.
Yesterday, opening day, featured fresh outrage as there was no professional livestream.
One entertainment industry insider, livid, reached out explaining, “For, like, under $50k you could do a decent livestream, shitty but ok. Maybe quite a bit less. If a tree falls….and how far the Pipe Masters has fallen.
Scathing.
It is odd that the plagued soler would maintain its license for the Pipe Masters and yet refuse to bathe in any sort of marketing glow. Chris Cote, for example, in booth wearing checkered slip-ons speaking glowingly.
Extremely odd.
Here, anyhow, is a highlight package from day one hosted by Lupita Nyong’o ex Selema Masakela who “devastatingly extinguished” the couple’s love through deception.
Enjoy.
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Vans can’t even make a good shoe, what makes anyone think they can run a world class event? I say that as I sit here in my 143rd pair of Vans that have worn out in the exact same spot after the exact same amount of time.
Crocs > Vans …. https://media1.giphy.com/me…
Hopefully wsl can pick ot up for free and reinstate it as the final comp of the year or make it apart of a Changas tripple crown haliewa sunset and pipe then have the pipe ct!
As vehemently as North Shore residents, most of them haole transplants, once complained about the Triple Crown of Surfing bringing traffic, tourists, townies, mainland surfers, Brasileiros and other undesirables into their country community in large numbers, their wallets bulging with money to spend in restaurants, boutiques, supermarkets and for readily available illegal drugs like ice and weed, they now complain equally vehemently that as a result of Vans running the Triple Crown of Surfing straight into the ground, there isn’t any traffic or tourists or townies or Brazilians to spend money in their community – on anything.
So what you’re saying is, ICE is selling for next to nothing.
$300k in prize money but no live stream?
Something is going on behind the scenes
Only a matter of time before ABG scoops up Vans and truly begins the mafia-like parasitic hollowing out of the checkered slip-on giant… enjoy whatever sad version of a once loved and championed event is now being offered. It’s over Johnny…
For a crossfit guy Sal looks quite port.
For a surfer Sal looks corpulent.
Ozempic some suggest is ideal for surfers.
When gastric dumping happens, and the other side effects take hold, one might shit himself, alas friend youre in the water, so let pharmacology happen with no shame.
No one will know.
However up in the booth?
Your bone’s got a little machine
Imagine being the last sponsor standing and getting raked over the coals by a bunch of entitled meat sticks that also hate visitors
Hawaiians: “Aloha mean hello and goodbye, now fuck off”
also Hawaiians: “Vans/Wsl, please bring back the triple crown and finish the CT at pipe so we can have every surfer come to Hawaii.”
It is pretty pissweak from Vans.. How could they not get it done? Nate Florence said he’ll have multiple angles and a drone up, and they have someone with an iPhone wandering around one of the houses with nobody other than Makua holding it down – that was when I seen it anyway.
There is some charm to a cheap operation don’t get me wrong, but at the same time how could a multinational Co like Vans fuck up something so bad they have naming rights to, especially something as special as the Pipe Masters?
Realistically, we aren’t their demographic. Nor do we consume their content or proddy…
Buuuuuuuuut, if we all coordinate to shake our fists together at the same time, and shake loud enough at the clouds, we may just alter the time space continuum at teleport back to the late 80’s/90’s!
We could be the demographic. Have you ever tried wearing UltraRange EXO’s as golf shoes? They work great, super light, and the sole is pretty similar to a spikeless golf shoe.
half cabs all the way
Preaching to the choir brother. Have a pair of ultrarange eco knit. Like clouds. Just don’t think Van would give 2 fucks about 40+yo white guys who love chasing a little white ball for 4 hours on a Saturday morning to escape their… *starts shaking fist furiously at clouds mumbling to himself*
the old ultras were best (the soft white rubber sole with none of that gum tread glued on the bottom,). Unfortunately they were deadly in the wet on any kind of smooth surface. I loved those shoes but fuck they were leaving themselves open to lawsuits.
Hawaiians should be happy with the isolation they are apparently being dished out with this faux pas. Hawaii for Hawaiians. Localism in action and what was always dreamed of. Truth is not that many people are arsed what is happening at Vans buses or overnight Amtrak’s. Let the good times roll you beauties.
absolutely unreal that ‘THE’ surf comp wasn’t streamed. maybe i will burn my vans on social media.
$50,000 is a good chunk of change, they would hardly see a return on that investment by streaming the event – if that’s what it costs
My question is then why have an event in the first place if no one can watch it. Wondering if it’s worth the expense of having people fly in from all over the world just to post a few clips on the vans surf ig page.
If a van crashes in the middle of a forest and nobody is there to drug test the driver – Joel Tudor – was he high? I don’t know!
and the drug test, obvs, is banging a checkered Vans on your head
….but it keeps Sal Mas employed.
Maybe they chucked a shitfit due to the JOB thing and went “nupp fuck ya’s surf fans, turn on us and we’ll turn off the stream!”
Something happened because it was supposed to be live on stab and YouTube.
All about the gram I guess
Probably contractually obliged to hold it but didn’t want to throw any more $ at it. Still kind of amused at all the sooking. Haoles go home but also: showcase the event to the Haoles.
WSL aren’t even touching it. Vans know that they have the permit to hold it in December and one day when Ziff gives up, they will be back to their comp being the title decider.
I’m more angry about losing the end of the year qualifying contests at sunset and Haleiwa. This is just one more stupid decision on top of those.
dunno.
there are so many tourists running around with their Vans 2024 Pipelien Masters shirts, they def made a bit of coin just off merch
For god sakes Nate Florence figured out how to stream the event…they could at least do that.
what’s more interesting was Makuaaua Rothman thanking Vans for actually continuing to support this paradoxical shitshoe that actually is prosurfing with Jason Shibata who obviously didn’t get the memo that vans is fucked, or are they, ? What other company is standing up to get us back the triple crown? Should we look to petrol or energy companies who help get all the surfers there 🙂
Firearm manufacturers!?
May as well go full Military industrial complex at this stageband next year have it be the “Raytheon Pipe Masters”
Can’t wait for the drone footage!
Makua wearing a vans shirt trying to get sponsored by vans
Off the Wallet
You seem to spend an unusual amount of time thinking about Sam George. Is there something more that you need to mention?
Pretty sure we already discussed that JOB didn’t get in on his persistent whining, more likely somebody dropped out of the event creating an opening for him in the invitee field. That or Vans rescinded an invite that they previously doled out but I’m sure we would have heard more whining if that was the case.