Can A Floridian Longboard World Champ Smite Shortboarders In The Vans Pipe Masters?

The whole “one-wave will change your life” cliche is a tired one. 

That said, one (exceptional) wave can get you an invite to the Vans Pipe Masters (December 8-20). 

Florida man, longboard world champion and fishing world record holder Justin Quintal caught the wave of his life at Pipeline last January, a double-barrel screamer on an 8’5 (‘felt kinda small for me’) that spat him into the channel. It was enough to give him the nod into the 2023 Vans Pipe Masters, where he’ll be looking to replicate last year’s life-maker. 

Justin sees his comfort on bigger equipment as an advantage at the Banzai, especially if those second reef peaks show up. 

“I feel like in a way I almost reverse-engineered it,” he said. “I ride these big boards in small waves, but on a technical level, I feel so comfortable on these boards. They don’t feel like these big, awkward things to me. That’s my baseline, it feels like home.”  

The 2019 WSL World Longboard Champion is a lifelong U.S. East Coast hurricane chaser, equally adept at putting large amounts of foam under the lip as hanging toes in the pocket. He also might be the only pro longboarder other than Harry Roach who can throw an air reverse (see the 1:02 mark!).  

Watch Justin’s entry video above as he explains his nose-riding philosophy, dodges the cops while surfing before a hurricane, and recalls how Joel Tudor nudged him to pull in at Pipeline.