Gallery: Pipeline and Backdoor This morning!

All photos by Laserwolf Pipeline and Backdoor turned on today. And through the day, the stretch wore two very different suits. Here, we drift in the channel with the lens of photographer Laserwolf, between the hours of 8am and 11am. As you can see, it was pretty and clean and there were real good tubs to be found but the crowd, as the ‘wolf informs, wasn’t too easy to navigate (a side effect of the North Shore’s recent wave starvation). Let’s dive into the morning light and feel the thunder! Gabriel Medina on his first real Pipeline wave of this season. For the full sequence, head back to the homepage. Brett Barley is never not getting barreled. This is just a way more juiced up version of his usual Outer Banks haunts. Cam Richards pumps through a wave at The Pipeline that is just so far from being awful. Eli Olson plucks one from the crowd and strums accordingly. Diego Santos on the flip side. Wait your turn, and the livin’ is good. Jamie O’Brien was, to the surprise of absolutely nobody, the day’s standout. Julian Wilson makes a frontside selection; feels no regret. Brendon Gibbens spends most his time in a fullsuit, and often with booties and hood, so the transparent skin is fine. As is the line he’s swooping under this lip. Kalani Chapman will be one of many locals battling in the Pipe trials for one of a (very) reduced number of wildcards into the main event. He probably won’t have to try too hard though. Mick Fanning, along with Nils Schweiser (below), was killing Backdoor and Off The Wall. And, Nils. Doing it all day. Derek Disney on a Rusty x Occy 84. Except not a remake – this one is OG. And, he was killing on it.