Already, the fall/winter season for Northern Hemisphere surfers has been a wild one. California in particular is facing waves of epic proportions as swell after El Niño-cooked swell rolls in. But when winter throws off the covers, most eyes are on Pipeline. Koa Rothman’s eyes included.
When the forecasts began to look a little more wintery, Koa and the rest of the Pipe crew bated their breath in anticipation. Early in the morning, Koa arrived at the sand to have a look.
“It’s kind of that awkward size right now when it’s picking up,” he said. “Rockies is a little too big and Pipe is a little too small. But I think in like an hour or so, it could be really good out here.”
Early season on the North Shore can be surprisingly uncrowded. That is not the case as the season rolls on — especially when the circus rolled into town back in those December Triple Crown years. Pipeline’s opening day was nearly empty first thing, so Koa decided he’d paddle out.
“There are like four bodyboarders out there,” he said. “The surfers haven’t figured it out yet.”
While it wasn’t all-time Pipeline, it was good enough for Koa to count it as the official opening day. And if El Niño lives up to the hype, it’s going to be a hell of a winter on the North Shore.
