It's great having a folder of photographs from my time spent on the North Shore of Oahu in February this year. Of course being there was fantastic, seeing the incredible seven mile miracle, walking up and down the stretch of beach between 'Log Cabins' and 'Sunset Beach' – within minutes checking 'Off The Wall', 'Backdoor', 'Pipeline' and 'Rocky Point'.
My visit coincided with the 'Billabong Pipeline Pro', so not only did I get to see the famed waves, but also the worlds best surfers free surfing and competing in them. Generously, Iain 'Ratso' Buchanan (WSL head priority judge) got us into the judging tower for a couple of heats on finals day, before watching the rest of the comp from the V.I.P area.
The tension in the judging tower was palpable, so we sat in silence and despite the privilege of being there, it was good to leave and let the judges do their job. The competition came to its conclusion with Jack Robinson coming out as the victor.
With only a couple of days before the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach (just up the road), the contest area was dismantled, and the judges returned to their house situated overlooking Sunset Beach and the world famous lineup. The team kindly invited us to that evenings BBQ, so we drank beer, ate great food and had a laugh. Thanks to all of them!
More photographs from the North Shore @ sleeplessink.com