If This Is What Second Place Looks Like, Who The Fuck Won?

99% of the time, comparing hollow waves to Pipeline’s blue caverns is an inaccurate and misplaced endeavor. 

But sometimes, it’s warranted. Such is the case of the final day of the 2023 Quemao Class, a two-day pit fest held in solid 8-12 chambers that bear an uncanny resemblance to a warmer left more than 8,100 miles away. 

El Quemao breaks over a shallow reef off the Canary Island of Lanzarote. This was the eighth year of the invitational contest, which includes a bodyboarding division (shoutout Amaury Lavernhe for taking the W). 

The final was an all-European affair with Spain’s Aritz Aranburu, Portugal’s João Mendonça, and two French goofyfoots: ​​Sam Piter and Joan Duru. The latter Frenchman won the event, but Sam was first to put out a highlight reel, which quickly copped some fire emojis from the Stab slack channel. 

Though Sam had an impressive five-wave fiesta in Stab Highway Europe presented by Monster Energy this year, I did not foresee his comfort level in waves this big nor this hollow. It does, however, make sense that a 20-year-old used to excavating shifty Hosseor tunnels would be adept at reading a proper lefthand reef. 

Above, Sam makes more than his fair share of scroll-stopping tubes at Pipeline’s cold-shouldered cousin. And Kudos to Sam for using Dead Gaze’s “This Big World.” Somewhere, Kai Neville and Lost Atlas fans are smiling.