Who has surfed the best wave
out there that you have seen?
The context surrounding a great
wave is important.
In 1982 there was a small
contingent of Westside surfers who
were beginning to influence the
mainstream surfing world. There
was kind of a snobbery going on
amongst the high-end pros as to
who could really cut it at Pipeline
and who was invited to surf the Pro
Class trials at the Pipeline Masters.
The Westsiders from Makaha were
from another planet
- mostly Hawaiian, poorer, no
sponsors and from a culture most
Haoles could hardly understand.
Especially their surf/ocean culture.
Enter Makaha local James ‘Bird’
Mahelona. He had a roofing
company, a strong friend in Jesus,
and roamed the North Shore in a
converted milk truck. He paddled
into his heats at the Pro trials and
got two perfect 10 rides.
The talking heads were
speechless.
In the ’90s, we had a house at
Pupukea. It was Flippy Hoffman’s
beachfront property. A quarter-
mile up the beach was the peak at
Pipeline.
Derek Hynd and I were checking
it from the front lawn when we
saw a small speck drop in, inside
of the surfers. It was bodyboarder
Mike Stewart. He negotiated
through three disappearing barrel
rides – climbing and dropping;
speed combined with hard turns- all the way through the Ehukai
beach sandbar and almost to the
break at Pupukea.
I just shrugged as having just
witnessed another amazing ride
at Pipe. Derek corrected me and
described that as not just another
ride, but pronounced Mike as the
best surfer in the world. At that
point, the finless idea started
percolating in Derek’s head. What advice would you give to
someone surfing Pipe/Backdoor
for the first time?
If you are not fit and are not an
expert surfer, forget about it. On
a good day with the pack on the
peak, I’d say head to Jocko’s. What’s the best thing about
shooting Pipeline; is it the
closeness to the wave and
power, or something else?
On a pure west swell you can easily
make it out into the channel area
where it is relatively safe, and you
have a great angle on the wedge
peak. With any north in the swell,
watch out. When conditions are
right – good trades, sunny, world-class talent and with a good swell- it is the closest you can come to
a studio type of set-up for shooting
surfing.
The wave itself makes it more
than just a surf shot; it morphs
and goes square, lines up and then
barrels on the inside sandbar. The
same waves off the reef going
right into Backdoor are just as
photogenic.
This 100-yard stretch of reef
has had more print coverage than
anywhere else in the world. As a
photographer, you can capture
some of the best late-drop photos,
wipeouts, barrel rides and cutbacks
you’ve ever gotten.
And it’s all up close and in your
face. It even has that rare window
where, as the sun sets, the whole
area from the water angle goes
golden.
Mid 90’s Pipe where conventional wisdom went out the window,
and legropes were considered a danger out at massive Pipe.
Your board would tombstone on heavy wipeouts and anchor the
human they were attached to, firmly inside the impact zone.