It’s on.
The 2023 Vans Pipe Masters, in its strange, new(ish), admittedly somewhat complicated format is live, and the footage from Ehukai Beach Park is streaming below.
It may be different; it may not be the Pipe Masters of surfing lore; the setup might be a little weird, a little odd. But hey, the waves are pumping. Why not tune in?
Lucas Chianca is back from injury; reigning champ Balaram Stack is stacking nines; Jamie O’Brien is proving he’s one of the best ever at Pipe.
But it still looks a little…different.
For more on the Vans Pipe Masters format of today, and the Pipe Pro on the WSL Championship Tour coming next year, SURFER Culture editor, Jake Howard, mused:
“In terms of history, heritage, tradition and pageantry, the Pipe Masters is essentially the equivalent to what The Masters is in golf. Can you imagine if organizers changed the tournament to a pitch ’n putt and invited a bunch of randoms from the local muni? Golf fans would be up in arms. Why aren’t surf fans more pissed?
“Sure, the Pipe Masters has had its little political snafus over the years, we’ve all seen the movie North Shore. But nothing’s perfect. The Pipe Masters, and the Triple Crown at large, always stood for something. To win one of the events means one had to beat the best surfers in the world in some of the most demanding conditions. You don’t get that same commitment, high-stakes drama and passion from a video contest or a weird, one-off specialty event, which is basically what the Pipe Masters has turned into today.”
You gonna watch? Hit that play button above.
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