11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) won the Billabong Pro Pipeline, the first stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT). He beat local hero Seth Moniz (HAW) in pumping eight-to-twelve foot surf. With a near-perfect score of 18.77 (out of a possible 20) and on his 30th year surfing amongst the world’s best, Kelly earned his 8th CT win at the world-renowned Banzai Pipeline – marking his 56th CT victory.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said Slater. “I was out there just telling myself to be in the moment, no matter how much tension there is. Just breathe. So I was just breathing, being in the moment. I thought Seth (Moniz) broke the combo because of the crowd and I said, ‘Just stay in the moment, soak it up.’ But I just savored this and this is the best win of my life.”
Watch the highlights below.
Women on the rise
We haven’t seen a Women’s Wildcard entry win a CT event in over a decade. Moana Jones Wong added her name to the record books with her win over Carissa Moore by winning the first ever women’s @wsl WCT at #pipeline.
For the first time in history CT women completed a full event at Pipeline. The standard for women’s surfing was set by Moana, and followed by debut performances of the world’s best.
Watch the highlights below.
Where it all happens
Pipeline is known as the epicenter of the surf universe and the birthplace of the sport, therefore it seemed only right for Pipeline to kick off the Championship Tour.
