Despite the conditions, big wins for both Robinson and Moore. Photo: World Surf League
Jack Robinson and Carissa Moore put 2022 title misses behind them as each became champions at Pipeline for the first time in less-than-ideal conditions. The crown jewel of the North Shore looked more like a raw diamond as side-shore winds peppered the wave faces in Robinson’s final with Leo Fioravanti. The Italian wiped away a long year of re-qualification with an excellent start to his season. Moore took down Tyler Wright, who looked ready to make another run at a title herself.
“So special, I’ve dreamed of this for a long time,” Robinson said after. “Andy (Irons) was one of my favorite surfers ever, so it’s an honor.”
You had to to know where to be, but there were barrels. Moore knows. Photo: Tony Heff//World Surf League
Yes, Pipeline wasn’t its usual self, but as Ross Williams said during the broadcast, the place is always good for some solid drama. And it’s such a fantastic contest wave. Even with smaller conditions, it still provided machine-like opportunities with barrels, turns and yes, airs, on offer. And Robinson seemed to be as tuned in as anyone with the wave. “I’m just so grateful,” he said about knowing the lineup since he was a kid. “Every time I paddled out there this wave has heard me. I was just able to be in the moment.”
For Moore’s part, it’s another in a long, long line of solid performances. Moore, who talked about the absolute misery of trying to come back from last year’s finals defeat at the hands of Steph Gilmore, has put an unreal string of consistency together for the last few years. Her game features few weaknesses: Her tube sense is unparalleled, she’s as powerful as anyone (even the crop of youngsters) and her competitive savvy is still more than enough to get her through the grindy heats she’ll face this year to try and recapture that world title trophy.
As we’ve written before, since 2018 at J-Bay, Moore’s been in 31 events, made the semis or better in 80 percent of those starts (that percentage went up today), and has made 14 finals, winning eight. Oh, and there are two world titles in that time as well. Don’t forget a gold medal. Then today. WSL broadcasters announced during her final against Tyler Wright that the victory has Moore sitting at third on the women’s all-time contest wins list.
“It was a heartbreaking end to last year,” she said after. “It’s taken me time to lick my wounds and get back up. But I’m grateful to be doing something I love. This means everything and it’s an accumulation of my work over the last couple of months.”
Tyler Wright of course looks way dialed in. More so than ever and it seems mentally as much as anything else. “It was a nice offseason,” she said. “I went into it focused on performance, just building my body back, putting on some weight, and mentality – how to approach an entire year. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Luck is always with the victor at some point. Photo: Tony Heff//World Surf League
Both Moore and Wright (semis last year, runner-up this season), expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete at Pipeline. “If you give women an opportunity we will build on it and be so well equipped to take on this wave,” Wright said. “Jessi (Miley-Dyer) had a vision. Women deserve to be at Pipe. Just knowing this wave is on tour, a massive shout out to the WSL. This is how women’s surfing can build.”
It was certainly a tricky comp. Robinson slipped through the bracket near the end with a better backup score in his quarterfinal matchup with John John Florence, who easily could be argued, had the better form throughout. His side-slip barrel was maybe the best wave of the heat but Robinson solidified his line with two consecutive scoring rides. Each competitor seemed to have a moment like that on the way to the final. Luck often favors the victor.
Regardless, with the midyear cut already weighing on the minds of most, making the quarterfinals, semis, or better, was a sure way to take some pressure off early. In fact, according to the WSL, 13 of the 16 men who made the quarterfinals at Pipe in 2022 went on to make the mid-season cut. That pressure will continue to mount with Sunset looming February 12.
