There are plenty of dangerous waves in the world, but Pipeline is generally regarded as one of the most dangerous. It’s a combination of a few things: of course, Pipe can be big and heavy and hollow and shallow, but it’s also very, very crowded. More people in the water means more injuries. That’s not to take away from how sketchy of a wave it can be, though.
A wave like Nazaré or Jaws or Maverick’s, if they were as heavily-populated as Pipeline, would likely claim more injuries over time, but Pipeline… well, it’s Pipeline.
In Red Bull’s latest installment of Life of Kai, Kai Lenny surfs the same swell at both Jaws and Mavericks, then confronts the risks vs rewards of big wave surfing after suffering a serious injury at Pipeline.
The episode above asks a few of those who know Pipeline best just how and why Pipe is so treacherous and why, exactly they can’t stop surfing it.
“If you get a ten footer and you get blown out, it’s the most addicting drug in the world,” says Kala Grace. “That’s why we do it. We know the consequences and we still go back.”
The clip you see above is just a trailer for the full episode, which can be found on Redbull.com. It’s well worth the watch.
