Only registered users can write a comment.
Please login or register.
Translate
| Big Bones and Backyard Bombs |
|
By Kevin Whitton
EVENT: Sixth Annual Da Hui Backdoor ShootoutDate: Jan. 9, 11 & 12, 2008 Location: Backdoor and Pipeline Conditions: Heavy 10- to 12- foot Pipe and epic 6- to 8-foot Backdoor Uncle Eddie Rothman perched himself at the edge of the beach path in between the Volcom houses, watching unridden 20-foot waves race down the reef at Pipeline. As people walked by they greeted him with handshakes, kisses and small talk about the surf, but Rothman never took his eyes off the ocean for long. “Backdoor means you either backdoor Pipe or you backdoor Backdoor,” explained Rothman. “Either way, you got to backdoor it to really get barreled. That’s what these guys are doing and having a good time. We’re stoked we got to run our contest.” For being an annual contest, The Da Hui Backdoor Shootout hasn’t run since Pancho Sullivan took the prestigious title in 2004. Da Hui has either been denied a city permit or faced a lack of decent swell during the holding period. This was not the case for 2008 as Wednesday, Jan. 9, was the highlight of a lackluster winter on the North Shore. Winds remained light and variable all day as west swell built throughout the morning, delivering 20-foot bombs square onto the reef at Pipeline by midday. The Backdoor Shootout turned into the Pipeline Shootout as the rights shut down and Pipe turned on. The surfers had to dust off their guns as the sets started hitting the second reef. “Beautiful set approaching out the back,” called Liam McNamara, announcer and Pipeline specialist, “someone’s going to get a 10-point ride on this one.” And like a psychic reading a mottled deck of tarot cards, Jamie O’Brien dropped into a heaving, perfect 12-foot left, disappeared behind the green curtain and got spit out way down at Gums. This isn’t your ordinary contest. Jamie’s wave scored 10.25 and it went down in history as the heaviest barrel of the year … so far. “Jamie O’Brien is going to take it,” Rothman prophesized under his breathe. 
The format of the Shootout is a non-elimination event with four-man heats, no contest jerseys and the top three heat scores determining the winner. The relaxed feel of the contest promotes expression, quality of the barrel and total commitment. The $50,000 winner-take-all prize purse offers some motivation as well. After two rounds of competition, Jamie O’Brien led the pack in overall points, followed by Nathan Fletcher, Kalani Chapman, Mark Healey and Bruce Irons. But with all the heavy hitters doing what they’re supposed to do, it was 17-year-old Tyler Newton from Kaua‘i that turned some heads and earned himself a healthy dose of North Shore respect. The young regular-footer stood his ground by taking off deep on a set, pulling under a massive curtain of water, side-slipping back down the face and holding his line. “I don’t have that much experience at Pipe and this is the biggest I’ve ever surfed out here,” said Newton. “I just went for it, dropped to the bottom, saw the lip come over, grabbed my rail and parked it. It was unbelievable.” The waves calmed down and cleaned up on the second day of competition. With the solid 6- to 8-foot swell consistently pulsing from the northwest, the event’s namesake wave came to life. Jamie O’Brien’s convincing day one dominance didn’t seem like such a sure thing. Marcus Hickman, Ola Eleogram, Mark Healey and Bruce Irons would turn the ratings upside down. Eleogram led the charge with a huge Backdoor right, pulling in under a heaving lip and traveling down to Off-The-Wall before blasting out—an 11.2. The highest score possible at the Backdoor Shootout is a 12. Mark Healey followed up with another Backdoor screamer earning him a 10.3. Then Bruce Irons dropped in behind the peak, opting for Backdoor, got shacked and posted an 11.4. With a permit good through the weekend, the surfers decided to run another day of competition, a fortunate call for Jamie O’Brien. Bruce had taken the points lead at the end of day two, so day three saw Jamie-O throwing himself over the ledge on a right, pulling in way behind the peak, pumping through two sections, exit and carving a huge cutback, setting himself up in the pocket for another barrel on the inside section. Jamie nailed an 11.4, turning the tides on Bruce and taking the lead once again. Bruce had one more chance in round six to best Jamie. He was going for broke, taking off deep and pulling into Backdoor drainers, but couldn’t seem to find his way out. Bruce broke two boards in a valiant effort that had Jamie pacing around his lanai, tense with apprehension that Bruce might pull off a comeback. Bruce had no such luck and handed his second broken board to a stoked grom on the beach. It just so happened that Jamie O’Brien drew the last heat of the day and stuck a backside rodeo on a 4-foot Pipeline corner for good measure—clean. Another sick Backdoor barrel for the local and the horn sounded, starting the party at Jamie’s house. SIXTH ANNUAL DA HUI BACKDOOR SHOOTOUT RESULTS: 1) Jamie O’Brien, $50,000 2) Bruce Irons, $25,000 3) Ola Eleogram, $15,000 4) Marcus Hickman, $10,000 5) Mark Healey and Myles Padaca, $5,000 each caption: The top five took home Lassen paintings, except for Myles Padaca who lost paper-rock-scissors to Healey for the work of art.
» No Comments
» Post Comment
|
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|