SURFERMAG.COM ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Randall Paulson - A New Sense of Focus
Pipeline Charger Cracks Down on Distractions to Focus on True Love - The Wave At Pipe
by
Eric Johnson
SURFERMag.com Correspondent
Click Here For Insane Footage of Randall at Pipe

Hawaiian-born Randall Paulson has a dream. A simple dream. A Technicolor dream. You see he wants to win the Pipeline Masters at Banzai Pipeline this December (December 8-20, to be exact about it) so dearly, it's become his life's work. Paulson took a big step toward turning his dream into a reality on February 7, 2006 when he made it to the quarter finals of the ASP 4-Star WQS event at Banzai Pipeline. Upon doing so, he was granted one of 12 bitterly sought-and-fought "Hawaiian" wildcards for the aforementioned Pipe Masters. Born and raised in Oahu, the island of which Pipe pounds, Paulson spent his youth watching the best surfers in the world charge the wedge of water. And it wasn't until he was 13 years-old that he finally paddled into the Pipe lineup.

"I grew-up sitting on the inside watching the legends surf," says Paulson, age 30. "I was this scrawny little kid and I'd just sit outside the pit in awe. I was mesmerized by the wave. After watching Pipeline for so many years, over and over again, it built this hunger in me; it built this passion."

So much so, that it would not be out of like to say Paulson has a love affair with the wave's kaleidoscope hue's of greens, blue and Krylon-white overspray."Pipeline's the most beautiful wave in the world," he declares, chin out. "My friends and I push each other bigger and deeper into the wave. The wave is my passion. I surf it for the rush. I like to be scared and Pipe is a scary place. When I surf it, I'm either going to wipe-out or get barreled."

While Paulson describes Teahupoo [Tahiti] as an amazing, powerful wave that you can't take anything away from, it's just not the same as Pipeline. "Pipe is right in front of you," he says of the majestic, pounding curl of water."When it's big, you can feel the ocean roar and feel the sand shake and feel the spit of the wave. It's right there in your face. It's like watching a huge TV screen. I uses that's why so may people and so many tourists get stuck looking at it. Once you see it, you can't leave. I've been that way my whole life. Getting barreled there is all I want to do."

So committed to his goals of becoming the main man with the master plan in the Pipeline, Paulson has purposely made moves, literally and figuratively, to better both himself and his surfing.

"I used to live on the North Shore, but during the last three years, I moved into town so I could focus more on my surfing," he offers, bringing things into focus. "I mean it's okay to have a few cocktails at the end of a good day of surfing, but at times it was getting out of hand. I wanted to move in a different direction and build my name, so I moved into town. And although I have to drive an hour to get there, Pipeline is my passion."

After scrapping his way through a pack consisting of the world's best surfers < in combination with the fraternal order of Pipeline locals and regulars < at the recent WQS event, Paulson found himself with an invite to the ASP season-ending Pipe Masters in December.

"They changed the format this year," he explains. "For like the last 30 years they used to have trials for all the Pipe specialists. You'd have all 40 great Hawaiian Pipe surfers fighting for four spots. But this year a deal was struck with ASP where 16 wildcards will be available for the Pipe Masters. That means 16 Hawaiians are guaranteed a place in the Pipe Masters.

"I felt really good," Paulson continued. "In fact I thought I would go even farther. But I was happy with making it to the quarter finals and with how I surfed. But the most important thing is that I'm locked-in to the Pipe Masters next winter. From here on in, no partying. I'm going to train, run, eat and live Pipeline."

Randall Paulson is living the dream. A dream he has no designs on waking up from. Just ask him. "When I was a kid, I'd see Derek and Michael Ho out there and they inspired me. There's a pecking order at Pipe. I worked hard for 10 to 15 years to get my spot and I'm not giving it away. I figure I still have 10 years left out there and I'm not stopping. This is all from the heart and I love where I'm at in life."

Solid.