Another Winter, Another Six Figure Prize Purse, Another Vans Pipe Masters

“I think there’s always going to be controversy,” Noa Deane told us, in a North Shore conversation last winter. “People are blowing up for a reason – they want to be in the Vans Pipe Masters because it’s mental.”

This past week, invites to Vans’ annual North Shore invitational event have been drip feeding via Instagram. A buffet of familiar entertainers are in the mix, but you can be sure the next few weeks will be filled with opinionated conversation and social media hot takes from those who feel slighted. 

The invitational specialty event runs December 8th – 20th, and offers the opportunity to watch a unique combination of freesurfers, CTers, and local chargers surf empty Pipeline amid a rare absence of the usual competitive pressures. 

The total prize purse is $300,000, with the distribution on the mens and womens side as follows:

1st Place: $75k
2nd Place: $35k
3rd Place: $25k
4th Place: $15k

Format

Three rounds, four surfers per heat, no eliminations, no priority. 50% Hawaiian draw. Each surfer will surf at least three times in all conditions, regardless of how well (or poorly) they do. 

To solve the purgatory of first-heat morning sickness, the heats will rotate, and all surfers will get a chance at morning, midday, and afternoon sessions over the opening rounds.

Heats are 30 minutes long, each wave is scored out of 30 (10 points possible from each of three judges). 

The four men and women with the highest three scores after these rounds will face off in their respective Finals, the duration of which will be decided on the day. Also, depending on the conditions, Vans will announce whether or not the final will have priority restrictions.

The Finals will be a standard four-person heat — 40 minutes long, with just the top two waves counted towards surfers’ overall scores.

Invitees

There will be a total of 40 men and 20 women in the draw, with roughly 50% Hawaiians in the mix. The entire list is below.

Confirmed Women

• Sophie Bell (ZAF)
• Erin Brooks (CAN)
• Milla Coco Brown (AUS)
• Puamakamae DeSoto (HAW)
• Anne Dos Santos (BRA)
• Vahine Fierro (PYF)
• Kiara Goold (PYF)
• Chesney Guinotte (HAW)
• Coco Ho (HAW)
• Maluhia Kinimaka (HAW)
• Sierra Kerr (AUS)
• Vaihitimahana Inso (HAW)
• Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)
• Moana Jones-Wong (HAW)
• Zoë McDougall (HAW)
• Kirra Pinketon (USA)
• Caity Simmers (USA)
• Luana Silva (BRA)
• Keala Tomoda-Bannert (HAW)
• Ēweleiʻula Wong (HAW)

Confirmed Men

• Kaulana Apo (HAW)
• Noah Beschen (HAW)
• Russell Bierke (AUS)
• Benji Brand (HAW)
• Harry Bryant (AUS)
• Legend Chandler (HAW)
• Alan Cleland Jr. (MEX)
• Crosby Colapinto (USA)
• Noa Deane (AUS)
• Imaikalani DeVault (HAW)
• Ivan Florence (HAW)
• Nathan Florence (HAW)
• Lucas Godfrey (HAW)
• Kala Grace (HAW)
• Mason Ho (HAW)
• Kainehe Hunt (HAW)
• Koldo Illumbe (IDN/ESP)
• Billy Kemper (HAW)
• Kyuss King (AUS)
• Zeke Lau (HAW)
• Jake Maki (HAW)
• Barron Mamiya (HAW)
• Makai McNamara (HAW)
• Torrey Meister (HAW)
• Noa Mizuno (HAW)
• Seth Moniz (HAW)
• Eli Olson (HAW)
• Jamie O’Brien (HAW)
• Makana Pang (HAW)
• Cam Richards (USA)
• Koa Rothman (HAW)
• Guy Sato (JPN)
• Lungi Slabb (AUS)
• Koa Smith (HAW)
• Balaram Stack (USA)
• Eala Stewart (HAW)
• Tosh Tudor (USA)
• Kauli Vaast (PYF)
• Mikey Wright (AUS)
• Kū’i’o’okalani Young (HAW)