When there’s a whole lot of straight north or northeast swell for an extended period of time on the North Shore, the sand moves around in a certain way. The Pipeline/Backdoor reef gets covered in it, which in turn affects the wave in a certain way. Usually, a bunch of sand on the reef doesn’t make for exceptional waves, but this time, a series of north/northeast swells hitting Oahu’s crown jewel turned the world’s most famous reef break into a sandbar break.
Koa Rothman, who has seen Pipeline in all of her many and varied moods, decided this particular mood was one he’d like to be a part of. It wasn’t an enormous day at Pipe, by any means, but if you’re in the wrong place there, it can still be tough. And by “in the wrong place,” I mean on dry reef, caught inside. Which is where, despite his years and years of experience out there, Koa found himself.
“It’s worth it,” he said, “because the risk is worth the reward.”
