December was a rough one for pro surfers on the North Shore. Among the many injured in the battle we call “Pipeline” was Owen Wright. After a brain-rattling hold down, big O felt the after effects of trauma, which sent him to the hospital and down a path of recovery.
Prior to the wipeout, Owen was on a heater of a season, fearlessly charging and locking in one of the most incomprehensible tubes out at Pipe. And that’s the Owen we love; that’s the Owen we hope to see fully recovered and on the 2016 World Tour.
Above you’ll find what we’re talking about. Owen, his sis Tyler, and Louie Hynd take a trip to Tahiti for Rip Curl’s resurrected series, “The Search.” And if there’s one thing that stands out, it’s Owen’s impeccable dominance out at Chopes. He takes off deeper, stands taller, and makes more waves than most out there. He’s never won Teahupoo, although he did come second to Slater in 2011. Here’s to Owen in fine form and finally getting the “W” he deserves out at Chopes in 2016.
After the lesson in style under pressure, we follow Luke Hynd on a true mission to find an obscure wave. Four flights and a four-hour open ocean boat ride later, the mopheaded Aussie finds it. A remote atoll with sharks, sting rays, and a reeling left hander. Nobody around but him. And Luke absolutely scores – it looks like Restaurants or somewhere in Indo. And that’s the true meaning of “The Search,” going off the beaten path for some untouched perfection.
“I hope this wave will stay this way – hard to get – and it will be for those who want to Search for it and put the effort in to find waves by themselves.”
