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Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. Slater is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time, and holds 56 Championship Tour victories. He won the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year four-times. Slater is also the oldest surfer still active on the World Surf League, winning his 8th Billabong Pipeline Masters title at age 49.
Mister Pipeline is a title given to masters of the waves at the North Shore's Pipeline. It was first given to Butch Van Artsdalen, and is passed on from generation to generation, by consensus. During this year, the Pipeline was at the forefront of surfing competitions. This first initial competition was sponsored by Continental Airlines, giving the winner a share of $500. Hakman rode six- to eight-foot waves for hours despite the conditions, being a leader in the big-wave riders at Pipeline. While Hakman dominated the first year of the competition, newcomer Michael Armstrong stunned the event by clinging to second place and a $250 prize. Corky Carroll took third place with a $150 prize. Other holders of the title have included sometime actor Gerry Lopez and bodyboarding legend Mike Stewart.
The Triple Crown of Surfing is a specialty series of professional surfing events that have been held annually since 1983 on the North Shore of Oahu, a coastline whose winter swells can reach 50 feet (15 m) in height.
The Banzai Pipeline, or simply Pipeline or Pipe, is a surf reef break located in Hawaii, off Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on O'ahu's North Shore. A reef break is an area in the ocean where waves start to break once they reach the shallows of a reef. Pipeline is known for huge waves that break in shallow water just above a sharp and cavernous reef, forming large, hollow, thick curls of water that surfers can tube ride. There are three reefs at Pipeline in progressively deeper water farther out to sea that activate according to the increasing size of approaching ocean swells.
Gerry Lopez, aka Mr. Pipeline, is an American surfer, shaper, journalist and film actor.
Charles M. Van Artsdalen was a surfer. He moved to La Jolla, California, from his birthplace of Norfolk, Virginia, at age 14. Van Artsdalen is best known as a pioneer of surfing 25-foot waves at such North Shore locations as Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach; and tube riding in Hawaii during the early 1960-1970s. A member of the Duke Kahanamoku Surf Team, he appeared in several surf movies and remained a fixture of the international surfing community until his death from alcohol-related illness in 1979.
Bruce Irons is an American regularfoot professional surfer from Hanalei, Kauai, and is often regarded as one of the best tuberiders of all time. He is the younger brother of three-time world champion Andy Irons.
Sunset Beach is on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii and known for big wave surfing during the winter season. The original Hawaiian name for this place is Paumalū. It is a two-mile stretch of mostly beige sand located at 59-104 Kamehameha Highway in Pupukea, 39 miles driving distance from Waikiki. Lifeguards are usually present.
Jeffrey "Jeff" Hakman is a world surfing champion, now a businessman, who together with friend Bob McKnight convinced Alan Green, the co founder of Quiksilver to allow them the rights to trade the name in America in 1976.
The Pipe Pro is an event in surfing held annually at Banzai Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii. It was established in 1971 and has been sponsored by Yeti Coolers, who have a three year partnership in place, which began in 2023.
John "John John" Alexander Florence is an American professional surfer. He is considered one of the most dominant pipe surfers of his era and won back-to-back world titles on the 2016 World Surf League and 2017 World Surf League Men's Championship Tour. He is the first Hawaii-born surfer to win back-to-back world titles since the late Andy Irons. Florence qualified to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in surfing's debut, as well as qualified for the Paris Olympic Games.
James Duncan O'Brien is a professional surfer from the North Shore, Hawaii.
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oʻahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oʻahu between Kaʻena Point and Kahuku. The largest settlement is Haleʻiwa.
Gary Elkerton, known as Kong is an Australian surfer, three time world masters champion, three time world professional runner-up, twice Hawaiian Triple Crown champion and Australian amateur champion (1984). He is regarded as an iconic big-wave rider and is highly respected by his peers for his unique, powerful surfing style. In 2009, Gary was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame.
Gabriel Medina Pinto Ferreira is a Brazilian professional surfer. He won the 2014, 2018 and 2021 WSL World Championships, and has the second-most World Titles, behind Kelly Slater. In two appearances at the Olympic surfing tournament, Medina won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Kala Alexander is a Hawaiian surfer, surf gang co-founder and actor. He founded the Wolfpak surf gang on the North Shore of Oahu. In addition, Alexander is an actor, playing roles in projects such as Blue Crush, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Hawaii Five-0.
Michel Bourez is a French professional surfer.
Jack Robinson is an Australian professional surfer who competes on the World Surf League Men's Championship Tour. He was crowned surfer of the year twice at the Australian Surfing Awards in 2020 and 2021. Robinson is often considered to one of the best barrel riders of the current days. Robinson did his best WSL performance in 2022 where he finished 3rd on the final rankings. He qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games, where he won silver.
Moanalani Jones Wong is an American surfer who has been called the "Queen of Pipeline".
Tamayo Perry was an American professional surfer, lifeguard and actor. He was a regular fixture on Oahu's Banzai Pipeline, one of the world's most notable reef surf breaks, and was considered as one of the most prominent pipeline specialists of all time. His death was the first fatal shark attack on Oahu in over 20 years.