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Of all the surf contests in all the world, the Hui o He‘e Nalu Backdoor Shootout in Memory of the Duke is one of the most prestigious. And this year, longtime Pipeline standout Benji Brand took home the coveted win.
Conditions for the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout were, as we’ve come to expect, nearly perfect. Bombing ten-foot Pipeline, just about as good as Pipe gets. When it’s that big and that good, however, it’s not a safe place to surf. The event wasn’t free of injuries, with Billy Kemper, Makua Rothman, and Kala Grace all winding up hurt.
Rothman and Grace were both taken to the hospital, and Grace’s accident was a severe one. Thankfully, however, he’s awake now and recovering from his terrifying wipeout. Although Kemper didn’t disclose exactly what happened, he surfed The Eddie with a knee brace on, and Rothman potentially tore his ACL.
Brand, who was raised surfing Pipeline, has long been a force at one of the world’s best waves. He was part of Team Snapt 5. The announcement of a winner was put off by organizers for nearly a week. In the end, Brand took home the trophy, Ivan Florence placed second, and Kala Grace finished in third.
