Wipeout Gallery: Fails, Bails, and Buried Rails at Pipeline

A wince-inducing look at what can go horribly wrong at one of the world’s most treacherous waves 

Pipeline has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous waves on the planet– and for good reason. Large crowds mixed with powerful swell and shallow reef is a recipe for carnage. If you’re not losing skin on the reef after a bad fall, you’re considering yourself quite lucky. 

Some Pipeline specialists have an almost cat-like ability to somehow land on their feet (figuratively speaking of course) after falling in precarious ways, contorting into various shapes to minimize the damage as they’re swept quickly across the bottom. 

Everyone pays their dues eventually though. Even some of the most talented surfers in the world, who have grown at Pipeline’s doorstep, have been badly hurt (JJF for example, broke his back, Nathan Fletcher snapped his femur and Dusty Payne nearly died). 

Thankfully, most of the dramatic and wince-inducing wipeouts that you see in magazines, online, or in movies end with nothing more than disappointment for the surfer who didn’t get barreled. One thing is for sure though, as long as people continue to push the limits out there, there will be no shortage of the type of imagery you see below.

After traveling deep in a Pipeline barrel, Mikey O’Shaughnessy hits the eject button while the wave begins to back-suck and the floor of the tube bottoms out.

During big swells out at Pipeline, there is so much going on that you can become desensitized to all the chaotic things that are happening in front of you. While inside on the couch or sitting on the deck at the Volcom house, this scene plays out all day long. 

From a visual perspective, it’s hard to beat those emerald-green evenings out at Pipeline, moments before the sun passes below the horizon. Every wave looks dreamy as surfers stand out as deep silhouettes against the light. Here, frequent Pipeline visitor Max Beach jumps from the top of a wave and hopes he can avoid the crashing lip behind him. 

Before this frame, it seemed like Makai McNamara had a chance at making this wave. After an incredible drop, he rode up high in the tube to avoid the foamball but it was unavoidable. The wave bucked him straight over his board, causing him to dive forward, his two feet the last visual before the wave passed over me. 

The thought of bodysurfing the bowl out at Pipeline is terrifying. Of course, there are people that have tried and, on the smaller days, they are quite successful. This was probably the wildest attempt I’ve seen in person though. Arthur Picard, absolutely going for broke, throwing himself over the ledge.

Getting caught inside at Pipeline is part of what you sign up for, but that doesn’t make it any less scary. Even when you’re in a heat and have the whole lineup to yourself, Pipeline still has its own plan. Here’s Bethany Hamilton trying to dive as deep as possible in the face of an oncoming wave, likely praying she gets through the back unscathed.

This was one of the scariest wipeouts I’ve ever seen while swimming out in the lineup at Pipeline. Jamie O’Brien and Mikey Bruneau both dropped into this wave but crossed lines and snagged each others’ leashes, causing them both to fall awkwardly. The lip crashed directly where their two bodies had just landed and it swept them in about 30 yards while they were underwater. It was terrifying to watch but thankfully both of them were uninjured and un-phased. 

Nick Marshall, ejecting on a beautiful late afternoon.

Ola Elegram dropped into this wave from super deep, having to call off numerous surfers that were trying to go left. It seemed like he was floating over the foamball, weightlessly, for 2 or 3 seconds before the wave eventually swallowed him. You have to be so committed to Backdoor the right and really not be afraid to hit the reef. This wave couldn’t be more than 3ft deep, as evidenced by all of the boils and side wash sucking off the reef. 

When nightmare becomes reality. This is Keijiro Nishi, caught inside, taking one last look around before shooting his board out (to avoid the lip landing on it and breaking it to pieces) during the Volcom Pipe Pro a few years ago. 

Young Kobi Clements jumps from the top of a massive Backdoor wave late in the evening. For many surfers, early in the morning or well after dark are your best opportunities to get a wave out at Pipe. Either that, or you have to go on the waves that might be unmakeable.

Always the crowd pleaser, nothing gets beachgoers more excited than a flying kickout. Jake Maki obliges.

Technically this isn’t a wipeout (yet), but this is the last vision of a surfer moments before being engulfed by Pipeline. Jesse James Johnson, with a commendable effort.

Lucas Silveira lives to surf another day after a battle with the reef and collects a permanent scar for his troubles. 

These are Billy Kemper’s feet, moments after his face hit his board, knocking him unconscious then immediately ‘scorpion-ing.’ This happened during the DaHui Backdoor Shootout and thankfully the Hawaiian water patrol was able to rescue him and get him safely to the beach where he received immediate medical attention. Although the fall ended his Hawaiian season, he has since made a full recovery.