Got a cold one nearby? If so, crack into it. And if not, get yourself situated with our Beer Finder and stock up your fridge and get some frosty 805 Originals or Cervezas within reach, because you’re going to need them.
Why? Because why not, of course. But also because we’re here with our full recap, review, and visual journey through all the good times we had with our pals both in the lineup and at the beachside bar from the World Surf League at the Pipe Pro.
A funny old thing, the North Shore. Turns out when you spend two weeks there you start to understand why they call it the Seven Mile Miracle. It’s pretty much the best time ever. The waves are perfect, the scenery’s cinematic, and the beers are always frosty. It sounds like paradise, doesn’t it? That’s because it is.
Of course, our main character here is Lakey Peterson, who brought back some serious bronze-colored hardware after finishing third overall, but there’s quite the supporting cast. From the surfers in the lineup like Barron Mamiya and Tyler Wright who won the whole thing to our friends on and off the sand, there were tons of rad people we shared a cold one with in paradise.
But enough talking about it. Let’s take a gallery tour through the waves, parties, and sessions that made our time on Oahu so epic.
The competition started off right at the start of the window, with Pipeline looking less like its usual self but Backdoor serving up the goods. Barrels were harder to come by, but carve-able walls and air ramps picked up where they left off.
The first few rounds were a little dicey for Lakey, with some last-second buzzer beaters needed to avoid elimination rounds. But, a good result is just that, a good result. So, Lakey was able to cruise to the bracket stage in her casually dominant way.
After a few days of lackluster surf, the competition took a break. It wasn’t until long however that Pipeline decided to wake up, and the results were pretty much beyond epic. Did you ever get in trouble for drawing perfect waves in your notebook instead of paying attention in class like the rest of us? Well, that’s how Pipe looked for the bracket stage and beyond. And let us tell you, it was an absolute show.
Lakey first matched up with Brazilian Tatiana Weston Webb in the Round of 16, who she combo’ed into elimination. In the Quarterfinals, Lakey matched up with the always-tricky Isabella Nichols. Unfortunately for Isabella, though, the long-period swell wasn’t on her side, and she spent most of the heat all-too-literally paddling in circles. Lakey was only able to squeeze in two waves in the sizable surf, but it was enough to send her to the Semifinals, where she just barely fell to eventual Pipe champion Tyler Wright.
We can’t thank our friends on the sand, in town, and from the World Surf League for hosting us. The North Shore is a special place for us, and we’re always more than happy to bring the beer.
We’re off to Abu Dhabi next (yeah, seriously) for the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, so keep up to date with our and Lakey’s continuing highlights on our Instagram, and stay in the loop with all things WSL on their website, too.