Did you hear the news? There’s another contest at Pipeline this week. It’s not a regional QS,and it’s not an unconventional invitational. One hundred and twenty-eight men and women are primed for the WSL’s Lexus Pipe Challenger, the Challenger Series’s first honest crack at a huge, wide-open barrels detonating over reef.
If the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout was any indication, forecasting has been a tough call this winter. What looks good on paper hasn’t always translated to breaking sets. That said, the first few days of the waiting period look promising as mid-period northwest swell hits over the weekend.
Surfline
It’s a helluva spot to host the second-to-last event of the 2025-26 season.Only two surfers have guaranteed a spot on the 2026 Championship Tour: Tya Zebrowski of france/Tahiti and Yolanda Hopkins of Portugal. The remaining five women’s and 10 men’s spots remain undecided, though some are in a better position than others.
