Since Pipe’s On Hold, Let’s Take A Minute To Appreciate The Second-Best Part Of This Year’s Webcast

Comp’s off for the day, what a buzzkill. Especially when the waves look like this.

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But the forecast for tomorrow also looks great, and with more reliable winds, so it was probably a smart call by the Wozzle. Probably. They also won’t hear the end of it if tomorrow falls flat.

But let’s focus on the positive. This break in the action gives us a moment to reflect on the second-best part of the Billabong Pro Pipeline webcast (after the waves, of course) — the Pioneers of Pipeline interstitials.

You’ve probably seen these short videos pop up in the middle of the event broadcast over the past week. Each 60-second piece features the story of a Hawaiian hero past or present, narrated by either Mark Cunningham or Coco Ho.

They’re incredibly well researched, written, produced, and edited, always teaching the viewer something new and leaving us hungry for more. I’ve dropped all 17 shorts below, in case you want binge on Pipeline pop trivia in the lead-up to Finals Day.

Along with the videos, Billabong has also created an auction as part of their Pioneers of Pipeline roll-out, featuring pieces of surf paraphernalia that Mark Cunningham collected on his countless dives around the reef at Pipeline. The list includes fins from Slater, broken boards from the Irons bros, and a literal toy soldier.

A portion of the auction’s proceeds will benefit the North Shore Lifeguard Association.

Check out the auction here. It’s pretty darn sweet.

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