Surfing Hawaii. Leonard Lueras
Pipeline (or Backdoor) is a consequential right that reels off the peak, and it is just as intense, if not more intense, than the celebrated lefts. The reef is even shallower here, sometimes drying out at the end of some rides. Some say the drop is even more nuts than the Pipe proper. Gaping right-hand barrels that lunge right off the drop call for little more than a straight drop into the mouth of the beast, and then a fast drive for the exit as you pray hard for the door to stay open. Successfully making your wave frontside is a true accomplishment, while managing to emerge unscathed backside is the stuff of legends. You should also keep in mind that what makes Pipe and Backdoor barrels throw the way they do is the hellishly shallow lava ledge that sits no more than 6 feet under the takeoff spot, even during those 10-foot plus dredgers. The bottom contour is actually quite flat in most places, with the exception of lava caves that have formed the basis of countless horror stories about surfers who were caught inside one after a particularly heavy wipeout. Try diving here on a flat day and see for yourself. In fact, the bottom is so obviously dangerous that Gerry Lopez, one of the greatest Pipeline riders in history, once said: "It's not a matter of whether you're going to get hurt surfing out there, but more a matter of when."
To Pipe or not to Pipe? Gerry Lopez and Howard Farrant contemplate one of the Pipeline's many moods. Photo: Dana Edmunds
State-of-the-art beach attire observed high above a serious North Shore surf contest venue. Photo: Brett Uprichard
Before attempting to take on the Pipeline, be honest with yourself about your abilities. Are you really ready for it, and are you willing to take on the consequences? Remember that the poor souls out there getting shacked out of their minds and blown into the channel by the fire hydrant-like spray are some of the most accomplished tuberiders in the world. Many are even well-paid to specifically surf Pipe/Backdoor, and it's their job—with skills in check—to make impossible, near-death situations look like a stroll through the park.
Crowds here may be among the worst in the world. Imagine sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Strider, Liam McNamara, Johnny-Boy, Mike Stewart, Braden Dias, Pancho, Derek and Mike Ho, and Shawn Briley, as well as an entanglement of other surfers, body-boarders and longboarders, some of whom are the best in the world. In a pack like this, the odds of snagging a decent wave fade fast. Scraps are what you'll normally end up with, but you never know. You may just catch for yourself one of those serendipitous moments when Mother Nature decides to cut you a break and flings a big green gem at you.
The paddle out is easy enough, but just be sure to time the sets (as in every surfing situation, but especially here) to make sure you don't get caught inside before scratching on out to the lineup. If you hit the water facing the break, the rip current will immediately sweep you towards the Pipeline channel. From that point onwards, it's all up to you.
The next spot over from Backdoor is one more high status venue in the world of surfing. Off The Wall is another of those places specializing in gutsy barrels. The main part of the wave is an accelerated right that bowls from takeoff to wave's end. Waves are super quick, and it takes years of adapting to figure out which ones to pick (kind of like mushrooms in a field). A right pick and you're flying through tunnel vision with an exit. But a wrong choice equals the above sans the exit. Beware of the shallow inside, and crowds that are always a nuisance. Lefts that drive toward Backdoor can be an option, but they tend to clamp shut over a shallow inside section. Getting caught inside here is also not in your best interest. Off The Wall (or OTW) got it's name from the concrete wall facing the break at the end of the public right-of-way going towards the beach. The steep drops characteristic of Off The Wall may also have contributed to its name.
Insanities is yet another properly-christened peak that looks straight into the right at OTW. Its waves can jack and sometimes get good, so keep an eye on it.
The left straight out from the outcrop of rocks on the beach (right by the lifeguard tower) squeezes out some serious juice. Rockpiles, as it's called, features a thick left that doubles-up and warps over a boil in the takeoff spot, and then rolls down the line. Big barrels are a possibility, but risky. Getting caught on the inside may push you over the rocks, so beware. From the beach, the size of the waves can be deceiving, and they are guaranteed to be bigger once you get out the back. Rock-piles handles some serious size, and usually has a minimal crowd of surfers. Totally in view from the coastal highway.
The right winding off of Rockpiles, Logcabins by name, is a thumping wave that can turn on in small to medium north swells. Shallow rock patches line the bottom here, so extreme caution should be exercised. When going off, Logs can be as intense and tubey as anywhere else on the North Shore. Logcabins may have been named (uh, duh?) after the log rental house on the beach facing this break.
When the Waimea river reaches its maximum capacity, the boys head down with their shovels and dig a stream to the ocean. As the flow strengthens, a stationary wave forms over the sand. Great filler-fun, but take heed of the less-than-sanitary water. Photo: Mana
Waimea Bay (say "wy-may-uh"). A sacred panorama in the world of surfing. Photo: Steve Wilkings
Rubber Duckies, once voted the "Stupidest Surf Spot on the North Shore" in a Surfer magazine survey, is nothing to get excited about. A sometimes mushburger right that is rarely ever good comes in on a reef at the beach called Three Tables. Possibly fun on a longboard, but you are probably better off just relaxing on the beach with your rubber ducky.
Winding up at Waimea
Waimea Bay is a beautiful crescent-shaped bay that on big swells holds what may be the premier big-wave right in the world. Under 15 feet, the wave here hugs the point and is known as Pinballs. When waves start hitting the 18-foot and up range, however, the activity shifts to the outside and true Waimea jumps into gear. The whole deal here is about making the drop and then escaping to the safety of the deep channel, a ploy that is way easier said than done. Waves hitting the outside boil can jack and lunge with great ferocity, creating a complex drop, one that can get even harder when it is being blasted by stiff trade winds. These mountainous entities have been known to form barrels big enough to drive a truck through. If all this wasn't enough, there is even a freak left that sometimes shoulders off the right (but which is not recommended), and which has so far only been attempted and made by two all-around wave maniacs, Shawn Briley and Marvin Foster. Waimea comfortably holds swells up to the 25-foot range and sometimes bigger. At this height, the Bay reaches its capacity and may start closing out. The crowds that clog the lineup definitely make surfing here even more dangerous than it should be, and, as some Waimea vets say, have killed the mythical magic of the place.
The inside and close to the beach Waimea shorebreak is world-famous for its necksnapping power. Surfers paddling in and out of the Bay have to deal with this phenomenon first, which can be rudely annoying because this fierce sandpounder reaches up to 15 feet on the face on seriously big days. Boogeyboarders and bodysurfers take much pride in riding these liquid time bombs, locking into enormous, frothing sand-dredging pits before they implode on the shoreline. Some stand-up surfers even take their chances here, usually on smaller days. Breaking your board and/or back may result from a session out here, so the buyer of such goods should beware. On days when the Bay shows its stuff, it seems as if the whole island stops to watch. Traffic along the Kamehameha Highway creeps slowly by the lookout cliff as drivers rubberneck and try to see the breaking waves, and parking spots around the cliff and beach park are snatched up as quickly as they become available.
Here, in the heart of the winter season, a prestigious invitational big-wave riding contest, "The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau," goes into a wave-waiting period. Conditions have to be just right, meaning solid Waimea lines of 20-foot plus swell coming through with pleasant wind and weather patterns. If these contest requirements are met, then the Eddie goes ahead. If not, the whole show is put on hold until the next season. Competitors in the event are all fully-certified hellman/chargers,