If you are smart, you found a way to watch Pipeline yesterday. It was, as Chris Cote said, “one of the best days ever.” Firing, as it were. Pumping, as they say. Macking, in surfing parlance. The swell rose all day and by the latter half, third reef was showing. Wash-throughs were common. And among those wash-throughs were absolutely perfect Pipeline waves. One of the best heats of the day — aside from maybe Kelly’s buzzer-beater against Barron Mamiya — was John John Florence vs Joao Chianca.
It was good for a few reasons. The first, of course, was because John John Florence is a Pipeline wizard. But the second reason was because Joao Chianca put on a show that we didn’t expect to see. It was a serious battle for John, and proof that Joao is going to be a real threat in the years to come… and likely this year, too.
Watch the Billabong Pro Pipeline on Worldsurfleague.com.
