MONSTER ENERGY PIPE PRO: Day One

The waves weren't outrageous, but it was definitely still contestable. Photo: Baker

On day #4 of the waiting period for the Monster Energy Pipeline Pro – presented by Billabong - officials elected take a page out of the recently completed Pipeline Master’s playbook, offering a smallish 4’ swell to the competitors with the option of Pipe lefts, Backdoor and Off-The-Wall. High winds and constant rain have pounded these islands for weeks, last night dumping inches of snow on Maui and the Big island’s volcanic peaks. The forecast 8’ swell arrived a day late and 3’ short, but no one was walking away from it. A handful of late drops, the every-now-and-then free fall from getting hung up at the top and then there was your classic doggy-door escape from a fast exploding Backdoor screamer. The first heat of the morning saw 4 Hawaiians, including Pancho Sullivan, who paddled 30 yards over to Off the Wall and squeaked out of his heat, thankful for the extra line-up to rack up a winning total. He’s still in the running at the end of day, having made it through the later Round of 96 The 3-star rated WQS event, the first of the year for Hawaii saw it’s first 2 rounds completed, 3 heats into the 3rd and draws in competitors from around the world, this year including Japan, Peru, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, Brazil, mainland USA and the dozens of Pipe Specialists of Hawaii.

The long range forecast for the event isn’t too bright, a massive high pressure to the north giving Hawaii its worst winter season in over a decade. Officials are gung-ho to get another day in on the backside of the swell and slightly calming trade winds before the next flat session slides in and after that, maybe another small northwester will arrive right at the end of the holding period. It’s going to be a tough fight getting through this winter’s Monster Pipe Pro though everyone’s ready to battle it out in some not-so-pretty wind ‘n water conditions - the early season rating points are just too valuable to walk away from, no matter how bad it is out there.