Pipeline, North Shore, Oahu: Preservation for the long haul

What you may know is that Pipe is ground zero. It’s Mecca for some and The Matrix for others. Even after decades of global exploration, it’s still considered one of the more dangerous waves out there as it’s taken more lives than any other wave. Pipe was Gerry’s playground, stop three of the Triple Crown, and perhaps the best natural amphitheater to watch big waves surfed while staying dry. To some degree everything is just chatter until a person proves themselves at Pipe.

What you may not know is that while the north shore is relatively the same today as it was 20 years ago, that didn’t happen by itself. For the past few decades people like Peter Cole and Larry McElheny have been fighting the fight to keep large-scale development away from this pristine ecosystem. A next generation of leaders have come alongside that crew and recently worked to literally buy the land over Oahu’s North Shore from Japanese developers. That crew included many people but at the core were Blake McElheny (Larry’s son), Jack Johnson and Masuo Ueda (from Surfrider Japan). The danger for the North Shore is the same as it is for every coastal region -- new development can increase the strain on sewage and other infrastructure, can add pollution via more cars and golf courses and push an area to lose the very character that made it special. The great news for the north shore is that not only do they have some nice momentum with the land purchase of Pupukea Paumalu, but they also have a new crew who knows how special what they have is and they are willing to invest their time, energy, and money protect it.