JJF recently took out the HIC Pipe Pro in front of a solid crowd. From all accounts, the event was sick with 6 – 8 foot perfect pipe and some of Hawaii’s best surfers putting on a clinic. John John and brother Ivan surfed the event with unmatched local knowledge and skill.
Unfortunately, the comp wasn’t live-streamed, and the only chance to watch any live-action was to jump through social media hurdles and find a dodgy stream.
The lack of live broadcasting has caused backlash from surf fans, mainly because contests in waves of far less consequence and quality often get live-streamed. The Huntington Pro is one such example. The logical explanation for the lack of coverage is that this contest was only a QS 1000 and had no real significance in terms of CT qualification, it’s just a shame the conditions were so good and us surf fans missed out.
Luckily the WSL has compiled all of the excellent waves ridden by John John on finals day, and it does act as some consolation for surf fans who missed out on the action.