Somewhere along the 7-mile miracle are two waves planted right next to each other. One’s a left, the other one’s a right. One’s called Pipeline, the other one Backdoor. Why is this important? Because we are on People! 

The WSL has officially hijacked North Shore’s best neighbourhood sending out the boys for day 1 and the gals for day 2 of the Billabong Pipe Pro or Billabong Pro Pipe?! Either way, the Master is gone due to a naming rights dilemma.

Weirdly, I have been longing for this moment for weeks, burning through my phone credit watching vids of pumping waves surfed in boardshorts and bikinis. Meanwhile, I’m ransacking my apartment looking for vaseline to stop that 4/3 wettie rash I have from itching. But enough about me, and more about how good this year’s Hawaiian season has been so far.

310 degrees West, 7-10ft with 20ft faces was the official call for day 1, and much of the same for day 2 of the event. Or, in other words, perfect Pipe’s hitting the reef on a building swell. 

None of this matters if you’re mortal and watching the WSL webcast in silence, confused, wondering if it’s your headphones or their sound guy f’ing up. It was the latter…

Technical difficulties were definitely the common denominator early on with what I thought to be one of the better heats of Round 1 ending in a “what just happened” for Jordy Smith, shaking off an apparent early-season hangover (only to redeem himself later in the day with a 9.73 screamer). Jordan Lawler doubled down on that notion in heat 2 while the judges scoring habits were… let’s say, questionable.

Jordy, Jordan, Judges. 3 Js?! If I don’t know any better, I’d call it a conspiracy theory, and we haven’t even finished heat 3 yet!

Nevermind. 

Speaking of heats, though. It wasn’t uncommon in the past to bail on watching the opening rounds because the matchups just weren’t all that enticing, especially in average surf. But now throw perfect Pipe and two dozen or so rookies into the mix, and you get fireworks right from the beginning. 

Just ask Luke Kennedy. He’s been screaming, jumping up and down on his pull out couch ever since Barron, Seth Moniz and Jack Robbo dropped excellent scores left, right and centre.

Another matchup that stood out to me on day 1 was heat 11 of the opening round, featuring Kolohe, Imaikalani and Ethan Ewing, but for reasons other than perfect scores, no-hand backhand barrels and Chris Cote’s occasional over-the-top-commentating. Let’s be honest, that heat was a bummer, and surfers not named Ethan Ewing disappointed.

But let’s talk big picture now. It’s hard to shake all the drama and excitement from day 1, but it’s the second day of the event that will go down in history forever. Aussie rookie Molly Picklum has her name cemented somewhere in the surfing hall of fame as the first female ever to win an official CT heat at Pipe! I’m a fan!

For the first time in the history of the WSL, previously known as the ASP, also known as the tennis tour, the boys and the girls will be competing at the same locations throughout the year. A no brainer considering that for the last few years, the most progressive element of surfing has been women’s surfing.

Only a few seasons ago, throwing the girls into hollow 4-6ft cylinders out at Pipe and Backdoor in an official event would have been commercial suicide. But, the way the girls have been sending it all winter, anything other than throwing them into Pipeline pits would not only be insulting to the women’s tour but the entire sport of surfing. Ya feel me?

Back to the main event now. Having the guys and girls compete at the same locations makes you realize how much more exciting the women’s early-round draws are, compared to the boys. Fewer surfers make for better drama – it’s just science!

Every round 1 heat of the girls had me at the edge of my seat with plenty providing plenty of “are-you-kidding-me” moments. Sure, heat scores have been on the lower side, but that’s more on the declining swell and less on the girls’ performances. My head’s still spinning, trying to figure out where Malia Manuel went on that Backdoor cavern?! 

Heat 5 was a bizarre one. Steph Gilmore danced too close with Rona and, as a result, entered the Covid safety protocol before her matchup with Tyler Wright and India Robinson. 

Fun fact, a 2.94 would have been enough for the 7x World Champ, who was obviously a no-show, to advance to the next round. But, instead, Bethany Hamilton threw on a jersey in her place and smoked Caroline Marks in the first heat of the elimination round. How about that?!

One other thing to point out before we wrap this up with some highlights from day one and two; you cannot beat local knowledge with 5 out 6 Hawaiians on the men’s side and 7 out 7, yes, 7 out of 7!! on the women’s side, avoiding the notorious early-round exit.

Short on time? Catch up on round 1 & 2 in 35 seconds

• This might be the best Pipeline we have ever seen in competition.
• Rookies mingle with the best, winning heats and wipeouts of the year nominations (looking at you, Jake Marshall).
• Filipe does Filipe things, air-reversing out of a square Pipeline barrel.
• The wildcards are putting together standout performances.
• Barron Mamiya, Seth Moniz, Jack Robinson, John John Florence impress.
• The GOAT dominates Backdoor.
• Solid start from the Aussie contingent.
• Joao Chianca?! This guy’s nuts – in a good way! Remember the name.
• Bettylou Sakura Johnson is 16 years old and has one of the best barrel stances in women’s surfing (according to Makua Rothman).
• Bethany Hamilton replaced Steph Gilmore, who tested positive for Covid-19.
• Small Pipeline is more dangerous, more challenging Pipeline.
• Molly Picklum made history as the first female officially winning a CT heat at Pipeline.
• Caroline Marks upsets WSL fantasy players with her round 2 exit.
• Tyler Wright wins longest post-heat interview.

The business side of things

Men’s Opening Round

Heat 1: 

1. Owen Wright
2. Zeke Lau  
3. Jordy Smith
   

Heat 2: 

1. Griffin Cola 
2. Matt McGill 
3. Jordy Lawler
   

Heat 3: 

1. Connor O’Leary 
2. Caio Ibelli 
3. Morgan Cibilic
   

Heat 4: 

1. Barron Mamiya 
2. Connor Coffin 
3. Jake Marshall

Heat 5: 

1. Italo Ferreira 
2. Callum Robson
3. Miguel Tudela
   

Heat 6: 

1. Felipe Toledo
2. Samuel Pupo
3. Ivan Florence
   

Heat 7: 

1. Seth Moniz
2. Kanoa Igarashi
3. Carlos Muñoz
   

Heat 8: 

1. Jackson Baker
2. Miguel Pupo
3. Frederico Morais
   

Heat 9: 

1. John Florence
2. Joao Chianca
3. Jadson Andre
   

Heat 10: 

1. Jack Robinson
2. Kelly Slater
3. Lucca Messinas
   

Heat 11: 

1. Ethan Ewing
2. Kolohe Andino
3. Imai Kalani Devault
   

Heat 12: 

1. Nat Young
2. Leo Fioravanti
3. Deivid Silva

Women’s Opening Round

Heat 1:

1. Molly Picklum
2. Sally Fitzgibbons
3. Courtney Conlogue
   

Heat 2:

1. Malia Manuel
2. Tatiana Weston-Webb
3. Gabriela Bryan
   

Heat 3

1. Moana Jones Wong
2. Carissa Moore
3. Brisa Hennessy
   

Heat 4

1. Isabella Nichols
2. Johanne Defay
3. Luana Silva
   

Heat 5

1. Tyler Wright
2. India Robinson
3. Steph Gilmore*

*Steph pulled out of her heat due to Covid-19

Fighting the cull early on

No huge upsets in the elimination matchups other than perhaps Morgan Ciblic already packing his bags with a mere 1.83 heat total in what has been described by Ross Williams, many times, as A+ Pipe. Jordan Lawler joins him on the charter flight (theoretically speaking) back Down Under as the only other Aussie missing the round of 32.

The third Aussie on that hypothetical flight back home is Steph Gilmore, who had to pull out of her inaugural Pipeline heat after testing positive for Covid, which is undoubtedly the biggest upset of the first two days of the event.

Men’s Elimination Round

Heat 1: 

1. Ivan Florence 
2. Lucca Messinas
3. Morgan Cibilic*
   

Heat 2: 

1. Jordy Smith 
2. Miguel Tudela 
3. Imaikalani Devault*
   

Heat 3: 

1. Jake Marshall
2. Frederico Morais
3. Jordy Lawler*
   

Heat 4: 

1. Carlos Muñoz
2. Deivid Silva
3. Jadson Andre*

Women’s Elimination Round

Heat 1

1. Brisa Hennessy
2. Bethany Hamilton
3. Caroline Marks*
   

Heat 2

1. Gabriela Bryan
2. Luana Silva
3. Courtney Conlogue

So long, Jordy Lawler, Jaddy, Imaikalani Devault, Caroline Marks and Courtney – See you all at Sunset.

For the rest of us, the show has only just begun! Round of 32 for the men and Round of 16 for the girls potentially resume as early as tomorrow with plenty of swell on the horizon.