No matter the weather, it seems like there’s always people on the beach at the Banzai Pipeline. Rain or shine, locals and vacationers alike lay down their towels to bask in the warm, salty air. But, in the last two weeks with the northwest swells, the crowd shifted from beach-going families and partiers to surfers and photographers. Lenses so big they looked like telescopes peering out from shady bushes. And the lifeguard towers were hectic with jet skis, the iconic yellow rescue boards, and, of course, the guards themselves. Throngs of people passed binoculars around to get a closer look at the barrels.
Beyond the beach, the crowded lineup was pro-ed out: John John Florence, Balaram Stack, Griffin Colapinto, and Jamie O’Brien caught some noteworthy waves, and the group of water photographers in their own little lineup tread water for hours hoping to catch them. In other words, Pipeline is open for business — and the battle.
The swell has hardly gone unnoticed by those living on the mainland and beyond. Just a few days ago, Surfline put out this video of Pipeline in 4K UltraHD. Jamie O’Brien put out this vlog of himself lying down in the tube. Griffin Colapinto posted a picture from his own Pipe session. In classic Pipeline style, let the show go on, and on, and on: since no one can get enough, here’s some fresh photos I snapped amidst the chaos in the water this past swell.
