It’s World Surf League season! Starting today and running through February 10th (wave conditions permitting), WSL’s Billabong Pro Pipeline competition will put an official start to the 2022 WSL Championship Tour. The Pro Pipeline will see world champion surfers, Olympians, and even some up and comers hailing from all around the world come together to begin competing for the world title race.
This year’s competition is particularly notable because it marks the 20th anniversary of the film Blue Crush, which is based on Susan Orlean’s terrific article “Life’s Swell,” which chronicles the story of the women of the late ‘90s Hawaiian surf scene and holds a special place in the surfing community — especially as the WSL makes real, determined efforts to better involve women in the pro surfing scene. This year’s competition will see women included in the infamous Pipeline contest as well as a full combined tour with men.
“To have the women surf Pipe is incredible,” says Tyler Wright, two-time consecutive WSL World Champion. “A lot of hard work has happened to get us here today. I think it will take us a few years to get used to it, but it’s exciting.”
“I’m scared of Pipe,” Wright continues. “I don’t even hide that. It’s a wave that makes you pull every single resource. All the choices and all these things you have to read within half a second while surfing there really pulls everything you got as a surfer. ”
That’s a sentiment shared by 2019 World Title champion Italo Ferreira, “Pipeline demands a lot from us surfers,” he says. “It’s a challenging wave for sure. Winning my World Title here in 2019 and making it to the semifinals last year doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll be here on Finals day. Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to Pipe.”
Former champs showing this much hesitancy to talk a big game shows just how intense and demanding this year’s competition is set to be. Anything can happen, and that’s what makes the Pro Pipeline a must-watch in the weeks ahead.
To catch the WSL Billabong Pro Pipeline, be sure to keep your eye on the official WSL site from now until February 10th (the Men’s contest started today) or watch via the WSLapp or the official WSL YouTube channel.