(Mini) Gallery: Not Quite Opening Day At Pipeline

The North Pacific is back. After the slow, painful, flatlined affair that was summer into early autumn, the back half of October is showing signs of life. Two weeks ago, for the first time in what felt like over two months, swell pulsed through California and Hawaii. It lingered, providing the first rideable waves in our short memories. And, over the next few days, both Hawaii and California will familiarize their pallets with NW flavour (Mavs had her inaugural thump over the weekend). Instead of sore backs due to time spent in an office chair, strained necks and shoulders will be the result of the this week's recreation. Thrilling? Yes. But, even more so, are today's Pipeline appetizers - just a taste of the to-be-highly-publicized opening day.

So while all eyes gaze on Portugal, the Rip Curl Pro, the John Johns, Jordy’s deflation, Gabs’ last-ditch strike and Nazaré's potential to possess enough X’s to make Vin Diesel quiver - word (and swell charts) is stirring that the Pe’ahi challenge is in the cards later this week (more on that to come).

“Yesterday afternoon, Pipe was absolutely pumping,” the superbly named North Shore photog, Laserwolf tells Stab. “Maybe a couple 10 footers (Hawaiian) but it was super backwashy due to all the summer sand build up. There were only bodyboarders out, but the sand was clearing so I had a feeling this morning could be on. Unfortunately, the swell must have peaked overnight. Today, it was smaller and dropping, some solid six-footers did come through every so often. Welcome back Pipeline, we missed you!”