Who’s been the biggest innovator
you have seen out at Pipeline?
It’s hard to call out names in the sense
that each generation has pushed the
envelope at Pipe.
Butch Van Artsdalen, Gerry Lopez,
James Jones, Rory Russell, Jackie Dunn,
Shaun Tomson, Rabbit, Dane Kealoha,
the Ho brothers, Ronnie Burns, both the
Irons, Owl Chapman, Mark Healy, Dorian,
Slater, etc... it’s kind of a group effort in
a sense. “It takes a village to raise a baby.”
Jamie O and John Florence watched it
all going on there as kids and absorbed it
all, and therefore all they had seen before
became a part of their innovative way of
surfing it.
Maybe one of the more historical
equipment innovations was when Lopez
figured out a better rail design which
allowed him to get down the steep face
better than anyone had before.
Born and bred in the islands, power
waves enhanced Andy Irons’ innovative
way of surfing Pipe and Backdoor. His
athleticism and skill allowed him to surf
it like it was a playful beach break. Just
aggressive and not intimidated; going forit at all times. He definitely innovated
a new approach to surfing Pipe and
Backdoor. If you had to draw up a four-man
final of all-time Pipeline/ Backdoor
surfers, who makes the four-man
heat?
Dane Kealoha, Shaun Tomson, Gerry
Lopez, John Florence.Who wins that final?
John Florence!Kelly Slater’s 1991 movie Black and White is still the
undisputed surf film of all time, and his no-hands Pipeline
barrel exploits are still a benchmark 26-years later.