Barrels at the Volcom Pipe Pro 2014

Volcom Pipe Pro Champion
Kelly Slater fan club
  What a final day at the Volcom Pipe Pro. The rain stayed away, the sun came out, and the swell came in. Competitors from the North Shore like Mason Ho competed against surfers from as far afield as Brazil, France, and Puerto Rico. But the standout of the competition was 11 time world champion Kelly Slater. I lost count of how many times Kelly would disappear behind a wall of water only to emerge unscathed 6 or 7 seconds later. It was no surprise seeing him win the entire competition.

Pipeline claims another board
Mason Ho
  The surfer nipping at Kelly's heels was young Mason Ho. He comes from a very famous line of North Shore surfers. His father is Michael Ho and his uncle is Derek Ho. Mason's goal is to be bigger than both combined.

Pipeline claims another bone
Slater paddling out to victory
  The waves were the best I have ever seen at Pipeline. A south wind was blowing offshore causing the barrels to form and hold open for the surfers. The lefts were huge with spitting barrels and the rights at backdoor had some gems as well.
Monster Set Wave at Pipe
Backdoor Barrel

  Some of the waves were easily 20ft on the face. Guys were standing up clean in the barrels. There were plenty of wipeouts, with two broken boards, and even one surfer carried off to the hospital with a broken ankle. These surfers were making it look quite easy but the conditions were definitely risque to say the least.

Late Drop
  I stuck around for a few hours and saw more barrels than I knew what to do with. It was amazing to see the wave working so well, like in the movies. There were some epic rides and I did my best to capture the action. Luckily, pipeline is a huge wave that breaks abnormally close to shore in very shallow water. Very good for observers on the beach and one of the best waves to take photos of.

  Check out the barrel shots and see some of the amazing action for yourself.

Beautiful barrels



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