The Volcom Pipeline Pro 5 Star ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) WQS event finished up yesterday in extraordinary conditions at the famed break of Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu. O'Neill team riders Mark Mathews, John John Florence, Brett Barley, and Nils Schweizer excelled in the incredible surf that persisted throughout the event of four days. The surf ranged from dangerous unruly 8-12' out of control Pipeline to epic conditions that proved to be some of the best surfed waves in recent memory at the famous wave.
Australian charger Mark Mathews went up against a field of Pipeline aficionados, WQS chargers, and the local Hawaiian talent to make the finals and came up just shy of winning the event. His performances through out the event where much to be noted pulling into incredible barrels heat after heat and taking on the Pipeline and the competition with complete abandon. One of his many highlights was the highest scoring wave of the final, a 9.67 on a beastly Backdoor barrel that was impossibly gnarly. He charged the wave and drove through a huge cavern to get blown out to the amazement of the crowd and judges. With that wave he was only in need of a 7.2 with ten minutes on the clock. It seemed an eventuality of a wave coming to him, but as fortune would have it, the wave never materialized and he finished in 3rd place. Despite not winning the final he has shown the world that indeed he is capable of winning at Pipeline, and has once again reinforced his name as one of the heaviest surfers on the planet.
One of the biggest stories of the event was 20-year-old O'Neill team rider and North Carolina surfer Brett Barley. He amazed the crowd and fans a like with the highest heat total of the entire event with a 19.67 out of a possible 20 with a combined two wave score. He excelled in all conditions whether it was unruly monstrous Pipe, Backdoor, or big perfect Pipe. He rode into the history books with amazing rides through out the event in a Cindarella like story. With this result he has put his name on the map, which was clearly one of the biggest stories of the event. He reached the semi finals in stunning fashion, which amazed all who witnessed his incredible tube riding skills.
On the Hawaiian front local resident and amazing Pipeline surfer who looked destined for the finals was John John Florence who surfed every heat with precision and bravado not seen by surfers his age of 17 years old. He took some of the biggest waves that Pipeline had to offer and absolutely charged the huge surf. Eventual event winner Jamie O'Brien narrowly defeated him in the dying moments of the semi-finals. Never the less John John performances were outstanding and the local crowd and fan support was clearly in his court with huge cheers with every wave he rode.
Also putting in a remarkable performance was Florida's underground big wave charger Nils Schweizer who grabbed two of the best waves ridden in the event on the second day, which like Barley, put him on the radar of the surfing world by reaching the quarterfinals. He took off on two incredible waves that showed his guts and panache in heavy situations. On one, he dropped in and made a near impossible drop, which had him completely inverted where he buried his nose where certain punishment would have resulted. Miraculously he made the drop and pulled into one of the most glorious rides of the event.
The Volcom Pipeline Pro will go down in history as having some of the best and biggest Pipe for an event in many years. Even greater is that O'Neill riders shined where it was most important. Congratulations to all the surfers who laid it all on the line with guts and glory!