Warm Fuzzy Feelings At The Weedmaps Pipe House

There are worse places to tickle keys and report. Currently, Stab‘s at the Weedmaps Pipe House, otherwise known as the Blue Wave. Out of the traffic-plagued, flooded LA streets and into blue skies, and powder puff clouds with a pod of whales sneezing into the horizon.

You know, postcard shit. 

The morning was clean, a few square ones at Pipe. Backdoor, not so much. Nathan Florence, Jamie O’Brien, Gavin Beschen, Billy Kemper, Kai “Mana” Henry and Jimmy “Ulu Boi” Napeahi stood fairly tall in the better tubes of the Shootout this morning. It wasn’t huge. It wasn’t small. And, just overhead-pushing-double Pipe is enough to put a chink in even the most hardened surfer’s armor. See: Dusty Payne a few days back. (Get well, man!) 

Nothing offensive about this view. Nothing at all.

Photography

Tony Brown

We’re here covering Weedmaps Pipe Experience, and thus, writing through Canabinoid-Tinted lenses. Delightfully hazy, yet unrefined.  

“Doesn’t look like much, but just getting ready,” Nate Fletcher said, in a wetsuit top, lighting a joint before the Weedmaps team’s heat. “Smokin’ and surfing… Surf culture,” he laughs. “Ahh, I hope some good ones come through.” 

Good ones would not come through. 

Boo Johnson and a fist full of something organic.

The WM team—defending champs here at the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout, and this year’s presenting sponsor—consists of Bruce Irons, Nathan Fletcher, Seth Moniz, and Tyler Newton. Prior to their heat, the wind switched for the worse. Conditions faltered, turning team Weedmaps’ heat into a razor blade in a sandbox affair.  

For this, er, “Experience,” Weedmaps brought out their whole “action sports” team: skate, surf, and moto, the whole motley crew. And while the surf guys in the house are accustomed to another Pipe Comp, who yawn and complain at the shift in conditions, the skate and moto team bring extra enthusiasm – a refreshing addition to the sometimes negative psyche of surf. 

Good food, good drinks, fine company.

Barrels became all the more rare, but Boo Johnson and the skate team shouted “yessssss,” and “yaaasssss,” and “Go Brucey!!!!!!!!!” from the balcony. Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, better known for rolling his skateboard off rooftops, twisted spliffs and ate fruit cups. A few of us cracked beers before noon. 

Cries for drops-ins, for top turns, for whatever the boys could make of the quickly fading conditions, echoed from the balcony. 

Nathan, Bruce, Tyler, and Seth had a swing. They pulled into closeout after closeout. Waiting for something to open, some kind of light. But, it was clear, not much would shine through. 

Nate turned on the heat’s last wave. When there was no coverup available, he launched a straight air out the back on his 8′ Stretch quad.

“It was alright,” he said after the heat. “I was more stoked on that little air than anything.”

One of the video guys from the skate team asked, “will they count that?” 

“Nah, they’re just looking for barrels, but not me, I’m looking for anything!” 

Moto rider Twitch (who oddly broke his collarbone yesterday falling off a scooter) and Tyler Bereman awaiting Nathan Fletcher to do the honors.

Photography

Tony Brown

After their heat, a few more ran, and conditions continued to sour. Guests got stoned and talked at length as stoned tend to do. A masseuse courtesy of the “Experience” arrived looking for sore shoulders. IV-drip treatments were the flavor last night, and the chefs hired by Weedmaps, from Hawaiian Fresh Farms, will continue to cook up some outright scrumptious non-Genteticallymodifiedorganism meals for anyone hanging in the house. And this ain’t just healthfood.

It was biscuits, gravy, and bacon for breakfast.

Fruit cups and charcuterie plates for midday snacks.

And I’m already wondering what’s for dinner.