The World’s Most Famous Waves – What is the Pipeline?
As we have already seen, surfing has its own language and all those who wish to be part of this world and lifestyle should familiarise themselves with these words from the language of surfers and surfers.
At our surf school in Lanzarote this is very important to us, as developing all this vocabulary will allow us to become even more involved in this beautiful and rewarding field called surfing.
Now we’re going to tell you what Pipeline or simply Pipe means, so you won’t look surprised the next time you hear the word.
What is the Pipeline or Pipe?
When we refer to Pipeline in the surfing world we are talking about a wave, one of the most famous waves in the world.
You can fully enjoy it in all its splendour by travelling to Hawaii, specifically to the island of Oahu.
Pipeline is a spectacular wave breaking at Ehukai Beach on Oahu.
This magnificent island receives many surf fanatics who come to ride and conquer this famous wave for glory and fame, even at the cost of their lives, as there have been several surfers who have perished trying to conquer Pipeline.
History of Pipeline
Historical records tell us that in December 1961, surfer Phil Edwards surfed this imposing wave for the first time, at what was then known as Benzai Beach. Bruce Brown, a filmmaker, captured the moment and the feat for posterity.
It was a day of 4 foot waves with no names and Phil made the big time.
Mike Diffenderfer was a shaper or modeller who kept Phil and Bruce company on their trip to Hawaii and it was he who came up with the comment that the wave Phil had ridden reminded him of some concrete pipes he had seen on a nearby construction site.
Tubo is Pipe in English; hence the idea of calling the wave Pipeline.
Pipeline is a thick, hollow wave that breaks in shallow water over the coral reef; it is highly dangerous and has several fatalities in its accident record.
How is the Pipeline formed?
As we all know, the islands that make up Hawaii are located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and are visited by large swells.
However, it is the north coast which, due to its geographical orientation, receives a greater amount of this type of phenomena, such as swells and large swells that arrive during the winter season from the north.
Only swells coming from the west are blocked. The ideal swell to form Pipeline waves has special characteristics such as a medium or high period and a westerly direction between 295 and 330 degrees.
The swell coming from the open sea, as it approaches the coast, encounters a sudden decrease in depth of about 20 to 25 metres.
In addition, the peculiar and characteristic shape of the seabed, located just in front of the reef, favours the energy of the sea to be refracted directly to this area of the reef.
These situations and characteristics make the waves that reach the coast have unique characteristics and become the Pipeline.
In the following video filmed on the Skeleton Coast, a stretch of the west coast of Africa located in Namibia, we can see first-hand what it’s like to surf a pipeline wave. We are sure that more than one of you will be left with your mouth open when you watch the video, come and see for yourselves.
What is so special about this wave?
Pipeline is perhaps the most dangerous wave in the world, yet it attracts many sportsmen and tourists and even hosts an annual master surfing championship in the area.
The fame of this wave is not only due to the perfect tubes it forms, but also because of the cruel and damaging nature of the seabed where they break, made of reefs and volcanic rock formations, which are unforgiving to those who have the misfortune of crashing into them.
It is a perfect formation made by nature and it is an unforgettable experience to watch surfers ride up and conquer it, but it can also leave death and desolation.
Every year, in the winter season with the swells of the season, the Pipe Masters is held, a championship where the best surfers in the world come together, willing to take on the challenge, even risking their lives in order to conquer the Pipeline and obtain their immortal pass.
Pipeline is a myth, a wave with perfect tubes, not exempt from the cruelty of ending some lives since it began its conquest.
