Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic
Encyclopedia
The Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic is a bodysurfing
competition held annually during the Winter season at the Banzai Pipeline
on the North Shore
of the island of Oahu
in Hawaii
.
The goals (and historical precedent) for the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic are based on the original concept of the North Shore Expressive / Paipo bodysurfing event.
The Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic first ran February 1971 (which preceded the Pipe Masters, which ran December 1971). Therefore, the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic was the first surfing event at Pipeline (Ehukai Beach Park) on the North Shore of Oahu.
The Event was originally hosted by the Honolulu City Parks Department (to promote water safety and wave consciousness), as a multi-division bodysurfing, handboard and skegless paipo board competition open to both men and women.
Eventually, the event was adopted by the North Shore Bodysurfing Club in Haleiwa, Hawaii.
Currently, the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic (PBC) Started in February 1971; and the Oceanside World Bodysurfing Championship, started in 1977, are the two biggest bodysurfing competitions in the World.The PBC is an event open to all bodysurfers. It is a judged competition specific to Bodysurfing and uses established judging standards.
The Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic was denied contest permits for the surf calendar seasons 2006-2007, 2008-2009, 2009-2010 (ran on World Bodyboarding Championships Permit 1/2 day event), and 2010-2011 (ran on IBA Bodyboarding Championships Permit 1/3 day event), . Exclusive access to Pipeline and other surf breaks is a very scarce resource. The City and County of Honolulu decides which contests will receive permits. In 2010, a half day contest was on February 24th. It was won by Mike Stewart for the 12th time. Mark Cunningham who has won 6th times came in third place. In 2011, a third of a day contest was completed on February 19th 2011. It was won by Mike Stewart for the 13th time.
Bodysurfing
Bodysurfing is the art and sport of riding a wave without the assistance of any buoyant device such as a surfboard or bodyboard. Bodysurfers typically equip themselves only with a pair of specialized swimfins that stay on during turbulent conditions and optimize propulsion.-Technique:To get on the...
competition held annually during the Winter season at the Banzai Pipeline
Banzai Pipeline
The Banzai Pipeline, or simply "Pipeline" or "Pipe," is a surf reef break located in Hawaii, off Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on O'ahu's North Shore. A reef break is an area in the ocean where waves start to break once they reach the shallows of a reef...
on the North Shore
North Shore (Oahu)
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oahu between Kaena Point and Kahuku Point...
of the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
The goals (and historical precedent) for the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic are based on the original concept of the North Shore Expressive / Paipo bodysurfing event.
The Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic first ran February 1971 (which preceded the Pipe Masters, which ran December 1971). Therefore, the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic was the first surfing event at Pipeline (Ehukai Beach Park) on the North Shore of Oahu.
The Event was originally hosted by the Honolulu City Parks Department (to promote water safety and wave consciousness), as a multi-division bodysurfing, handboard and skegless paipo board competition open to both men and women.
Eventually, the event was adopted by the North Shore Bodysurfing Club in Haleiwa, Hawaii.
Currently, the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic (PBC) Started in February 1971; and the Oceanside World Bodysurfing Championship, started in 1977, are the two biggest bodysurfing competitions in the World.The PBC is an event open to all bodysurfers. It is a judged competition specific to Bodysurfing and uses established judging standards.
The Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic was denied contest permits for the surf calendar seasons 2006-2007, 2008-2009, 2009-2010 (ran on World Bodyboarding Championships Permit 1/2 day event), and 2010-2011 (ran on IBA Bodyboarding Championships Permit 1/3 day event), . Exclusive access to Pipeline and other surf breaks is a very scarce resource. The City and County of Honolulu decides which contests will receive permits. In 2010, a half day contest was on February 24th. It was won by Mike Stewart for the 12th time. Mark Cunningham who has won 6th times came in third place. In 2011, a third of a day contest was completed on February 19th 2011. It was won by Mike Stewart for the 13th time.