Gerry Lopez not only made Pipeline the worldâs most important wave, he made the tube the ultimate prize in surfing.
Lopez was born in Honolulu, the son of a newsman for the cityâs Bulletin and Advertiser. When Lopez got serious about surfing in high school, his hero was Paul Strauch -- his style and grace would be Lopezâs reference point. At Ala Moana in the mid-â60s, Lopez witnessed his first tuberides, and the wave became his training ground.
During the epic winter of 1969-â70, Lopez set the standard for riding the tube at the worldâs most dangerous break. Suddenly, nothing else mattered in surfing. The barrel was now hallowed ground, and the barrel at Pipe was Shangri La.
