Brent Bielmann / WSL
Pipe Pro Set To Finish In Pumping North Shore Surf
Judging by the surf forecast for the Pipe Pro, it's looking like Friday, February 9, will be moving day as a new northwest swell builds on the North Shore, followed by a possible finals day on Saturday, February 10 ... just in time to wrap-up before the 49ers beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
On Friday, the North Shore sees a "new, mid-period WNW-NW swell (good direction) build in and top out by the afternoon –providing well overhead surf, with occasional double overhead sets, occasional waves a little bigger," reports Surfline's Jonathan Warren in the official event forecast.
That's good for 5- to 8-foot surfing in the morning with sets hitting 8- to 12-foot by the end of the day. Winds are expected to cooperate with moderate, offshore easterly trade winds.
Things get more serious on Saturday with the possibility of crowning a couple of winners. The day starts with waves in the 8- to 12-foot range in the morning before slowly backing down to 6- to 10-foot by the afternoon. Wind conditions improve further with the direction shifting to a little more straight offshore.
"Consistency fair with good conditions," reports Warren. "Backdoor will likely be the standout performer for shape, but still some OK Pipe waves (at least in the AM)."
And like that, we're down to the business end of the first Championship Tour event of the 2024 season. I'm taking John John Florence and Molly Picklum to win it all. But that being said, there have been no shortage of upsets throughout this event, and with a hungry crop of young talent still lurking about the draw, anything can, and usually does happen at Pipeline. And for it all to potentially to go down is 8- to 12-foot Pipe, it's a great way to kick-off the year. And did I mention the 49ers are going to beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl?
