The Banzai comes alive for the boog gang.
On Saturday Mike Stewart reunited the bodyboarders on Hawaii’s Oahu North Shore famous Banzai Pipeline.
An initiative by the G.O.A.T. himself in order bodyboarding being represented on the 2023-24 Winter season. Attention, no judging or results per se…. only expressions heats!
Tanner McDaniel, the current world champ, took the IBC world tour season off and made an appearance with a few legends of the sport as Spencer Skipper, Andre Botha, Aoi Koike, Guilherme Tâmega and Kainoa McGee.
Other well names attended the call as well: Magno Passos, Lindsey Yasui, Jeff Hubbard, Yuri Kamo, Kuko Font, Travis Smith, Haven Ahn, Mayumi Kondo, Kellen Yamasaki, Jessica Becker, Traci Effinger, and Kawika Kamai, amongst others.
Here’s what Mike had to say about the initiative: “I took every one of my three brain cells to get this over the line. What was at stake was bodyboarding being represented at Pipeline this year. Anyway with an extremely short window the event went off great, but it was more of a bragging rights prize.”
Regarding the action, here’s uncle Mike recap: “Tanner [McDaniel] again was the consistent standout busting reverse airs out of the bowl, big technical flips and barrels. Top wave went to Jeff [Hubbard] for a barrel that looked like he might have flipped in and then a massive reverse air on the right. Magno Passos scored the best barrels both at Pipe and Backdoor, getting a slight shoulder injury on one. Davin Alexander also packed a couple pits. Girls also charged the peak at Pipeline, which is usually inaccessible.”
Meanwhile, raw clips are available HERE.
