Jamie O’Brien, Mason Ho, Bruce Irons. Put them in the water with a bunch of other Pipe specialists in flawless conditions and what do you get? One of the best tube-riding highlight reels ever compiled.
That near-pornographic display of surfing has been happening in real time during the 2016 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout. The contest is a special event on the North Shore, amid the circus-type slew of others that infiltrate Oahu every season. It’s a continuation of the original Duke Kahanamoku Invitational, which in 2015 celebrated its 50th anniversary. And the format flips the traditional competition style on its head – instead of as individuals, surfers compete in a jersey-less team format. It allows for a more open, less pressure, free-surf feel for the event.
And the surfers appreciate that. Instead of hunting numbers and prize money, it’s more like a bragging-rights super session for who can get the best wave. For instance, you’d be hard-pressed to see a surfer go for a huge rodeo flip, like Jamie O’Brien above at the 1:48 mark. Except, of course, for Kelly Slater during the ’99 Pipe Masters.
