Pipeline Beach, Oahu
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The Banzai Pipeline, or simply Pipeline or Pipe, is a surf reef break located in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
, off Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on
O'ahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...
's North Shore. A reef break is an area in the ocean where waves start to break once they reach the shallows of a
reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...
. Pipeline is known for huge waves that break in shallow water just above a sharp and cavernous reef, forming large, hollow, thick curls of water that surfers can tube ride. There are three
reefs A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition of sand or wave eros ...
at Pipeline in progressively deeper water farther out to sea that activate according to the increasing size of approaching ocean swells.


Origin of the name

The location's compound name combines the name of the
surf break A surf break (also break, shore break, or big wave break) is a permanent (or semi-permanent) obstruction such as a coral reef, rock (geology), rock, shoal, or headland that causes a Wind wave, wave to Wind wave#Wave breaking, break, forming a ...
(Pipeline) with the name of the
beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...
fronting it (Banzai Beach). It got its name in December 1961, when surfing movie producer Bruce Brown was driving up north with Californians Phil Edwards and Mike Diffenderfer. Brown stopped at the site to film Edwards catching several waves. At the time, there was a construction project on an underground
pipeline A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...
by the adjacent Kamehameha Highway, and Diffenderfer made the suggestion to name the break Pipeline. The name was first used in Bruce Brown's movie ''Surfing Hollow Days.'' It also lent its name to the 1963 hit song "
Pipeline A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...
" by
surf music Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...
rockers
The Chantays The Chantays, sometimes billed as Chantay's, is an American surf rock band formed in Orange County, California. They are known for their 1963 hit instrumental "Pipeline". Their sound combines electronic keyboards with surf guitar, creating a uni ...
.


Specifics of the break

The reef at Pipe is a flat tabletop reef, with several caverns on the inside, creating a giant air bubble that pops on the front of the wave when the wave lurches upwards just before breaking. There are also several jagged, underwater lava spires that can injure fallen surfers. When sand accumulates on the reef at Pipeline, the waves can become unpredictable and violently "close out," (break all at once instead of peeling in a way that allows a surfer to ride the wave). A strong swell (a formation of long-wavelength surface waves) from the west clears out the sand in the reef, and after that, a strong north swell can give rise to the best waves. There are four waves associated with Pipeline. The left (which means the wave breaks from left to right from the perspective of a watcher on shore) known as Pipeline (a.k.a. First Reef) is the most commonly surfed and photographed. When the reef is hit by a north swell, the peak (the highest tipping-point of the wave where it begins to curl) becomes an A-frame shaped wave, with Pipe closing out a bit and peeling off left, and the equally famous Backdoor Pipeline peeling away to the right at the same time. As the size at Pipe increases, over 12 feet usually, Second Reef on the outside (further out into the deeper ocean waters) starts breaking, with longer walls (the unbroken face of the wave that the surfer slides across), and more size. At an extreme size, an area called Third Reef even further outside starts to break with giant waves.


Surfers

Numerous surfers and photographers have been killed at Pipeline, including Jon Mozo and Tahitian
Malik Joyeux Malik Joyeux (31 March 1980 – 2 December 2005) was an accomplished all-around waterman and a professional Big Wave surfer. Known by many as the "petit prince", the goofy-foot surfer often gained attention for charging the treacherous barrels a ...
, who was famous for his heavy charging (gutsy surfing) at Teahupo'o. Pipeline has been called one of the world's deadliest waves. Its average wave is 9 feet (3 m), but it can be as tall as 20 feet. Especially perilous are sections of shallow reef known as "Off the Wall" and "Backdoor". A few of the notable surfers at Pipeline are Phil Edwards (who is credited as the first person to surf it),
Greg Noll Greg Noll (' Lawhead; February 11, 1937 – June 28, 2021) was an American pioneer of big wave surfing and a prominent longboard shaper. Nicknamed "Da Bull" by Phil Edwards in reference to his physique and way of charging down the face of a w ...
(first to surf Second/Third Reef in 1964),
Joyce Hoffman Joyce Hoffman (born 1946/47) is an American surfer, considered a pioneer in her sport. She is often regarded as the first female international surfing star and was one of the first inductees of the International Surfing Hall of Fame. In 1968 sh ...
(first woman to surf it), Butch Van Artsdalen,
Gerry Lopez Gerry Lopez (born November 7, 1948), aka Mr. Pipeline, is an American surfer, shaper, journalist and film actor. Early life Lopez was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, grew up in East Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, and attended Punahou School. He frequented ...
, Mike Stewart,
Shaun Tomson Shaun Tomson (born 21 August 1955) is a South African and American professional surfer and former world champion, environmentalist, actor, author, and businessman. He has been listed among the top 10 surfers of the century, and was the 1977 W ...
, Mark Richards, Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew, Peter Townend, Michael Ho,
Simon Anderson Simon Anderson (born 7 July 1954) is an Australian competitive surfer, surfboard shaper, and writer. He is credited with the 1980 invention of a three-fin surfboard design, called the "thruster". Early life Anderson grew up in the Northern Beac ...
, Tom Carroll,
Sunny Garcia Vincent Sennen "Sunny" Garcia (born January 14, 1970) is an American professional surfer from Waianae, Hawaii. After leaving school he debuted on the 1986 Gotcha Pro at Sandy Beach, Oahu, beating the 1984 champ Tom Carroll. His top surfing ac ...
,
Kelly Slater Robert Kelly Slater (born February 11, 1972) is an American professional surfer who has been crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. He is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time, and holds 56 Championship T ...
, Danny Fuller, Jamie O'Brien,
Rob Machado Robert Edward Machado (born October 16, 1973) is an Australian born American professional surfer. Rob competed on the World Surf League Championship Tour from 1993-2001. Since then he has become a professional free surfer. Early life Macha ...
,
Andy Irons Philip Andrew Irons (July 24, 1978November 2, 2010) was an American professional surfer. Irons began surfing with his brother Bruce Irons (surfer), Bruce on the shallow and dangerous waves of Kauai, Hawaii, before being spotted by a local surfbo ...
,
Mick Fanning Michael Eugene Fanning (born 13 June 1981) is an Australian professional surfer who was crowned champion of the Association of Surfing Professionals/World Surf League (ASP/WSL)'s World Tour in 2007, 2009 and 2013. In 2015, he survived a shark ...
,
Gabriel Medina Gabriel Medina Pinto Ferreira (born 22 December 1993) is a Brazilian professional surfer. He won the 2014, 2018 and 2021 WSL World Championships. In two appearances at the Olympic surfing tournament, Medina won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olym ...
,
Italo Ferreira Italo may refer to: *Italo-, a prefix indicating a relation to Italy or Italians * Italo (given name), given name Film * ''Italo'' (film), a 2014 comedy film *Italo crime, a genre of crime film Music genres *Italo disco *Italo dance *Italo hou ...
and
John John Florence John "John John" Alexander Florence (born October 18, 1992) is an American professional surfing, surfer. He is considered one of the most dominant Banzai Pipeline, pipe surfers of his era and won back-to-back world titles on the 2016 World Surf ...
Moana Jones Wong Moanalani Jones Wong (born May 16, 1999) is an American surfer who has been called the "Queen of Pipeline". Early life and education Jones Wong was born and raised on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, alongside her younger sister. She was homes ...
has earned the nickname "Queen of Pipeline." In 1964, John Peck and Dick Catri were some of the first surfers to appear while inside the Pipeline tube in a published film.


Competitions

The top surfing competitions at this spot include the
Pipe Masters The Pipe Pro is an event in surfing held annually at Banzai Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii. It was established in 1971 and has been sponsored by Yeti Coolers, who have a three year partnership in place, which began in 2023. The event attracts the top ...
(board surfing), the Volcom Pipe Pro, the IBA Pipeline Pro (bodyboarding), and the
Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic The Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic (PBC) is a bodysurfing competition held annually during the winter season at the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of the island of Oahu in Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the Uni ...
. Surfers can also submit videos to Surfline's ''Wave of the Winter'' competition. The competition focuses on beaches on Oahu's north shore, including Pipeline.


Media

* The 1964 documentary ''Locked In!'' was filmed at Banzai Pipeline. * The 1974 episode "The Banzai Pipeline" of ''
Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...
'' was filmed at Banzai Pipeline. * The 2002 sports film ''
Blue Crush ''Blue Crush'' is a 2002 American sports film directed by John Stockwell, written by Stockwell and Lizzy Weiss, and based on Susan Orlean's 1998 '' Outside'' magazine article "Life's Swell". It stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, San ...
'' was filmed at Banzai Pipeline. * The 2007 film "Pipeline" featured events at Banzai Pipeline.


See also

*
Big wave surfing Big wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which surfers paddle into, or are towed into, waves that are at least 20 feet (6.2 m) high, on surf boards known as "guns" or towboards. The size of the board needed to successfully surf these w ...


References


External links


Pipeline
on BlooSee (satellite view, NOAA chart and surfing spot) {{coord, 21.664, N, 158.054, W, type:landmark_region:US-HI, display=title Surfing locations in Hawaii Geography of Oahu Tourist attractions in Honolulu County, Hawaii