Watch: A Masterclass In Belated Drops At The Teepee Capital Of The World

Before Caity Simmers bested Molly Picklum in the 2024 Pipeline Pro final, she talked about how difficult it was to catch waves in the freesurfs leading up to the event. With the entire men’s and women’s CT (51 surfers) plus an array of locals bumping elbows at the world’s most coveted peak, one would be forgiven for looking elsewhere to avoid 97 heads in the water. 

Like one of Homer’s epics, the opening scene of O’Neill’s annual North Shore edit starts in medias res, with no preamble or setup, and Caity riding two gorgeous Backdoor waves. Rocking her black-banded Borst and a prototype Oakley helmet, Caity calmly knifes into the blue walls, sets her rail and finds god. On the second, the toes of her back foot hang over the rail to ensure its connection to the wave face. Remarkable stuff from the 18-year-old who legally couldn’t pop champagne to celebrate her Pipeline victory this past February.

The rest of this edit is equally enjoyable. The assembled cast includes Oneill’s typically elite cast: Jordy Smith, Eli Olson, Ian Crane, Robbie McCormick, Torrey Meister, Shion Crawford and Timo Simmers. Two of my favorite moments are Shion’s massive alley-oop at 3:55 and Ian’s immaculately threaded wall at 6:34. And the track choice — a methodical twang of The Brian Jonestown Massacre — also gets a chef’s kiss. 

Click above for a slo-mo demonstration of Caity’s frontside drops, followed by O’Neill’s mutual appreciation of North Shore peaks. It’s enough to make you miss the winter already.