Dec 4, 2024
A Surf Contest By Any Other Name
Storied History of the Pipeline Masters Threatened by Controversy The Pipeline Masters (colloquially known as the Pipe Master) has long been considered the most prestigious (non-big wave) surf contest on the planet. It has run uninterrupted since 1971, when Fred Hemmings put together the inaugural event with a six-person invitational format. However, that doesn’t mean it has been without controversy. Indeed, this year’s upcoming event might be the most contentious of all time. The first bit of drama to emerge from the Pipe Masters came that fateful first year in the early 1970s, when Pipeline’s all-time greatest surfer, Gerry Lopez,...