One of the best things about the Billabong Pipe Masters event is the Pipe Invitational that comes before it. A roster of Pipe specialists is invited to battle it out for a spot among the upper echelon in the main event. This year — aside from a few of the huge changes to the tour, of course — was no different.
Joshua Moniz walked away with the win, which wasn’t much of a surprise to anyone who follows his surfing. Miguel Tudela earned a second-place finish, and the two of them secured their wildcard slots into the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons presented by Hydro Flask.
Moniz won the event in front of an empty beach. Due to the Coronavirus, strict restrictions are in place. Those didn’t stop Moniz’s family from running down the sand to congratulated him after his win. Moniz pulled down a pair of 9.6s to claim his spot at the top of the podium.
“I feel great, it’s a pretty amazing feeling, being able to just keep surfing at Pipe, my favorite wave in the world,” said Moniz. “This is probably the best heat I’ve ever had. I grew up surfing against all those guys and I know how good they are. I was definitely nervous, but I’m glad it worked out.”
