Watch: Lexus Pipe Pro Wildcard Fires Warning Shot At Competitors

“I want all of the smoke.”

“Guess who’s back?”

Eminem? Not quite. Those words come from 22-year-old ex-CT surfer Eli Hanneman, freshly gifted the injury wildcard for the Lexus Pipe Pro — thanks to Pipeline’s well-established tradition of sidelining surfers before the contest even kicks off.

Will he actually get all of the smoke? Hard to say, given Pipe’s limp forecast. But one thing’s certain — Eli is back. Back again.

For those who need a refresher: Eli qualified for the 2024 CT, but the mid-year cut cleaned out his closet after a run of 17th-place finishes. He took a swing at a few CS events, but thanks to some health issues, spent the back half of 2024 at home. In that time, he joined the YouTube cult, steadily dropping Hawaii edits, including a highlight reel two years in the making.

Now, he’s kicking off the year at Pipe. And if he hasn’t lost himself to the vlogger life, it won’t be long before he’s back on the big stage. 

Palms extremely sweaty.