Of Course the Florence Brothers Surfed Pipeline on Opening Day (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 9:53 PM ET

Is well-overhead Pipeline on October 5 a good sign for a fruitful season to come? I hope so. We’ve yet to see the jet stream make meaningful and consistent low-pressure systems in the North Pacific, but a decent northwest swell made its way down to Oahu this week. And of course, Nathan, Ivan and John John Florence were on hand to see it make landfall on their beloved North Shore. And sand on the reef be damned, they went for it.

Sadly, not everyone was prepared for the jump in period. Nathan reported that local lifeguards were buzzing around the North Shore all day and rescued two people from the water at Keiki, one of the most terrifying stretches of shorebreak on the island.

The first session is a bit of a mixed bag. Nathan, the newest member of the Red Bull hat club, waxed up a 6’6” Tank (that means it's serious) to handle the extra lump and bump at Backdoor. Meanwhile, John John grabbed a shortboard to launch into the tradewinds at Pipe. But the bulk of this session comes from a wave further down the beach, one that John John has a certain affinity for holding his rail in oversized sections. He didn’t land the layback, but his bottom-turn to fin-release beginning at 14:40 is a welcome sight to behold.

Come for the waves, stay for Nathan’s glorious sound effects.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: