Four Maui surfers hit Pipeline for WSL Championship Tour opener | News, Sports, Jobs

World Surf League / TONY HEFF photo

World Surf League / BRENT BIELMANN photo

Maui’s Jackson Bunch (first photo) and Eli Hanneman (second photo) compete during the opening round of the Lexus Pipe Pro, the first stop on the World Surf League Championship Tour, on Wednesday at the Banzai Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore. Bunch, a wild-card entry into the event, won his heat with a two-wave total of 10.17. Bunch was in last place in the last few seconds of his heat against World No.2 Ethan Ewing and CT rookie Cole Houshmand when he dropped behind the peak on a big and fast Pipe left, which he rode to excellence, earning an 8.77 to take the win.

“I’m just here to have fun, and to get to surf Pipe with three guys out is a blast,” Bunch was quoted as saying in a WSL news release. “I surfed a pretty bad heat, and the waves were not going my way. I knew there were 30 seconds left when Ethan went on his wave, and the next wave I was going no matter what, I just had to give it a try. Coming from Hawaii, surfing in this event is every little surfer’s dream.”

Hanneman — making his debut as a member of the CT — scored a 9.70 to also win his heat and advance to the round of 32. Also advancing was fellow Maui surfer Imaikalani deVault, who is back on the CT after his debut season in 2022. DeVault (9.84) placed second in his three-man opening heat to move on. Meanwhile, Maui’s Ian Gentil — last year’s CT Rookie of the Year — was sent to the elimination round after placing third in his heat with a 5.50. He later earned his round-of-32 spot with a second-place finish in his elimination heat with an 8.86. The next call for the event is today at 7:45 a.m.

World Surf League / BRENT BIELMANN photo World Surf League / TONY HEFF photo

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rq3UoqWer6NjsLC5jqynqKqkqHytu8Kao2aroKS%2Ftb%2BOa2drbF9lf3Cyzq6pZqWRqrZuv9SrnZ6qo2K1qsCMqaCpnZyeu6Z5xaipZq%2BjoXqktMCmp6Knnqi1qryMraauql2kvaa6xKtm