As the start of the 2022 Championship Tour season gets set to kick off with the Billabong Pro Pipeline, we're counting down the most memorable championship moments from the past 10 years.
Carissa Moore had been preparing for this moment for years. Operating out of a discrete, two-bedroom apartment fronting Off The Wall, the now five-time World Champion and Olympic gold medalist understood from an early age that it takes time to master the North Shore's power.
It was 2015 and for years she'd utilized this second home on the other side of Oahu -- rented by her then sponsor Target -- as her base of operations.
The laid back, island-style abode was a place where she could feel comfortable when she drove over from her home in Town, store her boards and work with veteran surfers and coaches such as Pancho Sullivan, Myles Padaca and Shane Beschen.
Pipeline is surfing's ultimate proving ground, and Moore was determined to show that she belonged.
See how Carissa Moore, Courtney Conlogue, Keala Kennelly and Tatiana Weston-Webb took on Pipeline.
The previous year, the Women's Pipe Invitational was held for the first time. A one-heat specialty event, Moore took the win over Tyler Wright, Bethany Hamilton and Stephanie Gilmore in relatively average conditions.
It was the 2015 incarnation of the Women's Pipe Invitational where Moore truly rose to the occasion. Fresh off of claiming her third World Title, she showed up ready to roll in pumping, overhead Backdoor barrels.
Wasting no time, Moore opened the 30-minute heat with a well-surfed 9.17 on a Backdoor drainer. Facing Courtney Conlogue, who'd just finished the 2015 Championship Tour season ranked second, as well as Rookie of the Year Tatiana Weston-Webb and Pipe vet Keala Kennelly, Moore seized immediate control.
Courtney Conlogue standing strong in a Backdoor pit at the second incarnation of the Women's Pipe Invitational. - WSL / Kelly Cestari
Never looking back, Moore posted an 8.30 on her next wave, but saved the best for last. On her fourth and final wave of the heat, Moore tapped into an overhead Backdoor runner. Judging her speed perfectly, she threaded the line and came flying out with the spit. The judges awarded her a 9.43, giving her an 18.60 heat total.
If success truly comes when opportunity meets preparation, Moore couldn't have been any more ready for this moment. And now, as today's women get set for their first full-length women's Championship Tour event at Pipe, Moore will be defending back-to-back World Titles.
And once again she has a chance to lean into her knowledge and experience at the infamous Hawaiian reef and come out the other side a Pipeline champion.
Read More:
The waiting period for the Billabong Pro Pipeline gets underway on January 29. Keep it locked right here at WorldSurfLeague.com for the latest news and info as we countdown the start of the 2022 Championship Tour.
The Pipeline Top 10: Moore Cracks The Glass Ceiling
Jake Howard
As the start of the 2022 Championship Tour season gets set to kick off with the Billabong Pro Pipeline, we're counting down the most memorable championship moments from the past 10 years.
Carissa Moore had been preparing for this moment for years. Operating out of a discrete, two-bedroom apartment fronting Off The Wall, the now five-time World Champion and Olympic gold medalist understood from an early age that it takes time to master the North Shore's power.
It was 2015 and for years she'd utilized this second home on the other side of Oahu -- rented by her then sponsor Target -- as her base of operations.
The laid back, island-style abode was a place where she could feel comfortable when she drove over from her home in Town, store her boards and work with veteran surfers and coaches such as Pancho Sullivan, Myles Padaca and Shane Beschen.
Pipeline is surfing's ultimate proving ground, and Moore was determined to show that she belonged.
The previous year, the Women's Pipe Invitational was held for the first time. A one-heat specialty event, Moore took the win over Tyler Wright, Bethany Hamilton and Stephanie Gilmore in relatively average conditions.
It was the 2015 incarnation of the Women's Pipe Invitational where Moore truly rose to the occasion. Fresh off of claiming her third World Title, she showed up ready to roll in pumping, overhead Backdoor barrels.
Wasting no time, Moore opened the 30-minute heat with a well-surfed 9.17 on a Backdoor drainer. Facing Courtney Conlogue, who'd just finished the 2015 Championship Tour season ranked second, as well as Rookie of the Year Tatiana Weston-Webb and Pipe vet Keala Kennelly, Moore seized immediate control.
Never looking back, Moore posted an 8.30 on her next wave, but saved the best for last. On her fourth and final wave of the heat, Moore tapped into an overhead Backdoor runner. Judging her speed perfectly, she threaded the line and came flying out with the spit. The judges awarded her a 9.43, giving her an 18.60 heat total.
If success truly comes when opportunity meets preparation, Moore couldn't have been any more ready for this moment. And now, as today's women get set for their first full-length women's Championship Tour event at Pipe, Moore will be defending back-to-back World Titles.
And once again she has a chance to lean into her knowledge and experience at the infamous Hawaiian reef and come out the other side a Pipeline champion.
Read More:
The waiting period for the Billabong Pro Pipeline gets underway on January 29. Keep it locked right here at WorldSurfLeague.com for the latest news and info as we countdown the start of the 2022 Championship Tour.
Carissa Moore
Born on Oahu's South Shore in 1992, Carissa Moore grew up like so many Hawaiian groms, learning to surf at Waikiki as waves like Baby
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