Banzai!

A new DVD captures legendary moments at the North Shore surf spot

Before the advent of extreme sports, there was surfing at the Banzai Pipeline. Before the winter of 1961, no one had ever attempted to ride the treacherous surf break of that North Shore spot. That is, until documentary filmmaker Bruce Brown got Phil Edwards to do it for his film "Surfing Hollow Days."

'Pipeline Masters' DVD comes in five different collectors covers, depicting Tom Caroll, Shaun Thomson, Gerry Lopez, Kelly Slater and Andy Irons in action (Vans "Off the Wall" Productions/Surfing magazine); $29.95

Thus was born a challenging surf spot named after a Japanese battle cry and a nearby construction road sign. Ever since '71, the Banzai Pipeline has been the site of the premier professional surf event in the world, the Pipeline Masters, and the most important tour stop every year for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

The colorful history of the Pipe -- which mirrors the evolution of surfing itself -- has been ably documented for DVD release by the creative team behind the critically acclaimed "Dogtown & Z-Boys" and "Riding Giants."

While those two films were originally for theatrical release, co-producer Stacy Peralta said by e-mail that "Pipeline Masters" was always meant to be a direct-to-video project. Originally modeled in 2000 as a year-by-year documentary of the annual event, it was decided that the film wasn't going to be compelling enough if made that way. So producers Peralta, Paul Crowder and Agi Orsi, and "Riding Giants" screenwriter Sam George, were brought in to change the emphasis more around the Banzai Pipeline's defining eras.

"PIPELINE MASTERS" is divided into six fascinating chapters:

» Its 1960s origins.

» Local boy Fred Hemmings starting the Pipeline Masters competition with six competitors and a thousand-dollar first place prize, and Punahou School kid Gerry Lopez making the Pipeline his own in the early '70s.

» A new crew of surfers from California, Australia and South Africa introducing backside surfing and a flashier, more aggressive approach, helping to make the Pipe a showcase event on the pro surf world tour.

» The three-fin short board making its revolutionary appearance in the early '80s.

» Kelly Slater and Sunny Garcia dominating the Pipe in the '90s.

» And a new generation of surfers like brothers Andy and Bruce Irons and young local Jamie O'Brien making their mark by winning the prestigious event in 2000 and on.

"Pipeline was, and still is, one of surfing's most important venues for public display," Peralta said. "It was even more important back in the '60s, '70s and '80s before the explosion in surf adventure across the globe. It's one of the sport's greatest touchstones, and it's the one wave that is always used in comparison to others.

"As a result, many of the most important evolutionary changes took place there, like the short-board revolution, the age of tube riding, the evolution of riding and mastering extremely dangerous waves. And the Pipeline has hosted so many of the most important surfers in our collective history."

THROUGHOUT the film, Gerry Lopez's name stands out. He not so much conquered Banzai Pipeline as became one with its waves. In the archival footage, one sees Lopez effortlessly riding the Pipe more as accepting an old friend than fighting a dangerous adversary. He appears in a 1973 classic scene of a perfect tube ride that represents pure artistry in motion.

"The film states very clearly, as both Sam and I believe, that Gerry changed the face of surfing with his unique signature approach," said Peralta. "His surfing gets better and better as time progresses, similar in the way only the finest music or wine gets better with age."

Peralta found working on "Pipeline Masters" to be a delight "as Sam and I were able to fawn over many of our surfing heroes we grew up idolizing. Building Gerry's segment and the Shaun (Thomson), Rabbit (Bartholomew) and Simon (Anderson) segments was nothing short of an honor, which we also took very seriously.

"Every day, Sam and I would be in the editing bay arguing like two brothers over the importance of certain people, boards and events. ... He and I found that working on the film was the next best thing to surfing itself."

A DOCUMENTARY like this gives viewers a renewed sense of pride and purpose in how the Banzai Pipeline has brought out the best in top-notch surfers. They'll be able to see how Thomson, on his newly designed "pink banana" rocker board in 1975, drops down the face of a humongous wave and amazingly snaps under its lip. There's also Australian surfer and board shaper Anderson's successful introduction of his three-fin thruster board in the treacherous surf of 1981.

A year later, Michael Ho invented the grab rail stance, thanks to a cast-covered broken wrist. There's also great footage of the overlooked Dane Kealoha in action in '83, an incredible barrel ride by Michael Ho's brother Derek from 1986, Aussie Tom Carroll's memorable win the following year while filled with the spirit of his sister who had died days earlier, and the spectacular '95 semifinal heat between a dueling Slater and Rob Machado.

And, oh, the spectacular wipeouts over the Pipe's shallow reef.

With the next Pipeline Masters competition only about three months away, this DVD is a great way to tide one over until December.

A special edition of the "Pipeline Masters" DVD, this time with an accompanying hardcover book, will also be released in time for the holidays.